Dear Asher, You're 10
Ten feels like a pinnacle year, so Tiffany wrote a letter to her son to document it.
Dear Asher. Today you are 10.
Photo by Night Owl Imagery
How did we get here so fast? The old adage, “The days are long but the years are short” reflects how I’m feeling today.
When you were born I made a conscious decision not to Carpe Diem every moment of your childhood. I vowed not to be one of those moms who had to turn everything into a Pinterest-worthy photo opp. I wanted to paint a very REAL picture of early motherhood, so I started a blog called the Daily Asher, where I documented the highs and lows, the extraordinary and the ennui.
We settled into a loitering rhythm of motherhood and new life. We took a lot of naps together. I folded a lot of laundry with you in the laundry basket, your cushion dwindling as I folded clothes until there were only a few more items and it made more sense to hold you as I tucked your onesies into a neat pile. I pushed you in your stroller to a nearby coffee shop. Sometimes we would go for long drives, so I could try to get you to go to sleep, but it never worked. You still refuse to sleep in the car.
Between the minutia of endless dishes and diaper changes, there were bursts of thrill, like the first time you reached up and touched my cheek or the first time you smiled at Dad.
These days you’re into RC planes and world history. You can rattle off the highlights of the Russian Revolution as if you are teaching a class. You've had the same best friend for four years -- what a gift!
As parents, we pray for little miracles to make your life easier: that you’ll do well on your spelling test, that you’ll stay out of trouble, that you’ll navigate tricky social situations. We sometimes forget that just the experience of knowing you and seeing you grow is an extraordinary miracle. In your 10 years of life, my photo library has filled with images of you learning to crawl, wearing spaghetti on your head like a hat, graduating preschool, reading to your sister, sledding, school field trips, family vacations, moments that the delight of you learning something new overtook all of us.
And we’ve even Carped some Diems.
You, my boy, are the zenith of miracles. I hope you’re having a good childhood. I think you are.
Happy birthday
Love, Mom
