An Open Letter to my Ate Arielle

To Our Dearest Arielle,

I just can't believe that you are already thirteen years old. I believe that your tatay and i are really getting old. Hahaha! It was exactly 13 years ago when you were this small baby that i would cradle and carry around. i wasn't able to breastfeed you that long but I know we have a different kind of bond that only the two of us knows.

As a toddler you enjoyed doing all these different jigsaw puzzles that most of the time it will take you minutes to put it back together. We may not have enough books but i know how you love to browse at one, especially if we go to National Bookstore. And now at 13 you still love books and I am thankful for that. You have read my Harry Potter books a lot of times as well as the Twilight series.

When you were a kid you love the songs from Westlife and Backstreet Boys. Ahuh, you went to that boy band craze at a young age. But you like Josh Groban as well. Now it's different kind of music from singers such as Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga, and yes, even Green Day. You also like the music of our local bands as well. I am thankful on the other hand, for you introduced me in your "music world".

But I can't forget how much you like, love and adore Daniel Radcliffe aka Harry Potter when you were just merely 3 and a half years old. You would always watch the vcds of Harry Potter. And now you've seen Tom Felton aka Draco Malfoy, the antagonist of the same movie series. You told me how cute Tom Felton is. Hahaha! Bye Harry Potter, hello Draco.

I just can't believe you're already my teenage daughter. You have different likes already. You ask me questions, that sometimes I am taken aback before I answer them. But I know that one day you will be definitely asking me a lot of stuffs but it's probably how I took it that is why.

I do have wishes, hopes and dreams as you turn thirteen:

1. I wish that you will grow up to be God-fearing.

2. I wish that you will find friends, who will truly be there for you in times of troubles or if ever you have problems. Friends who will accept and love you for who and what you are. Be sure to treasure them as well. (because I did)

3. I hope that you will continue to study hard and be a good student as well. i know you have lots of dreams and I hope you will be able to achieve, if not all, at least some of them.

4. Lastly, I hope that you will continue to be a good daughter to me and to tatay. Be a good example to your siblings Joie and Amaya.

I know we have our misunderstandings and differences but if there's one thing I am proud of, is that we could talk it over. Put things in their right perspectives. I would listen to you, to whatever feelings you have and you will listen to me in my explanations intently as well.

This is just the beginning of your journey to adulthood. And always remember that your tatay Francis and I WILL ALWAYS BE HERE FOR YOU, our dear Ate Arielle.

Happy 13th birthday and we love you so much, our dear Katherine Arielle, remember that always...

Loving you until the end,

mommy grechie