Dear Grace, Now You are Fourteen

My dearest Grace,

As is the tradition now, I could not let your birthday go by without writing your yearly birthday post. Today you were 14 years old. The last year has been one of the strangest I believe you will ever experience in your lifetime – although who is to say what will happen next.

You have dealt with 2020 in the mature, level-headed, pragmatic fashion that I have come to know of you. You really do live up to your name. You have always been wise beyond your years and that really did come into play this last year. But there has always been that sense of fun too. Plenty of laughter, a dose of humour and some silliness!

Lockdown

March was a funny old month, as was April. Prior to that you were spending each Monday evening helping me with my Slimming World groups. I will always treasure that time we spent together. When Covid got serious, the 4 of us had each other and, you knew it was serious when dad said that he was keeping you home from school (normally you had to go unless there was a limb hanging off or blood pouring out of you!). As lockdown extended, things became more of a trial. With a nearly 3 year old brother demanding everyone’s attention, dad being poorly and me working all the time, you have done your best to support us where you could. You have been an amazing big sister to your brother, a great companion to me and wonderful support to dad.  All the way through lockdown, you put your schoolwork first without us having to ask. You just got on with it. You got loads of support from your final year at Maiden Beech and I really felt for you and your year as the Prom you were all looking forward to so much got cancelled. Saying goodbye to the school just wasn’t the same and I am so pleased you were able to go back one last time for closure’s sake.

As lockdown progressed, I know you were missing other people. You have such a great friendship group now – all of them great and supportive of you. If any of them argue with you, it doesn’t last for long – you just get over it and move on! You continued to deal with 2020 with maturity and an understanding. Not wanting to put us at risk and not wanting to put others in danger either. Meeting up with Granny and Grandad was so hard when we had to keep so far apart from them.

Knowing your own mind

I have always been careful to guide and support you in your decisions. I have always asked for and respected your opinions. I have never needed to tell you what to do. You seem to always make the right choice with everyone’s interests at heart but never compromising on what you wanted. Definitely the right way to be.

Senior School

Starting Senior school in September was never quite what it should have been – and it still isn’t. As the risk of Covid increased for all of us, you have really stepped up. We know you never wanted to miss education so, when the first case was announced in your school, we kept you off for one day to ensure we understood the measures being taken. We know that it is mandatory to wear a face covering in the halls but, at our request, you have protected everyone by wearing a face mask every where in school as well as the walk to and from AND you have come home every day, taken your clothes off in the kitchen, put them straight in the washing machine and gone to the bathroom for a shower. That is not an easy thing to do every single day – but you do it to protect everyone.

The fact that you have pretty much decided on your options for your GCSEs makes us so proud. You still want to be a Biotechnologist and you really are set on going to University. Despite the fact that your piano lessons stopped, you have continued to practice.  Since our room switch (you are now in our old bedroom and I have the office below you) one of my greatest pleasures is to hear you play piano.

Favourite Things

We have a mutual love for musicals and one of my favourite memories this year is listening to the Hamilton soundtrack over and over again! You have even chosen to watch again this evening – so dad can watch it with us this time. Plus, we have agreed to watch Stranger Things so you can experience it with us this time. We did a huge jigsaw puzzle together near the start of lockdown (we must do that again!). You have been so understanding of dads condition and, at times, been better at dealing with it than I have. Rex looks up to you. It was only this evening he was telling me that he and I were 14. Definitely a nod to you there – and I love how keen he was to open your presents for you this morning and how brilliant you were at letting him help you!

Darling Grace, you make us so proud. You are kind and considerate. I know there have been times where you have found it so hard this year and there have been understandable tears. Please use this experience to go forward, knowing how hard you have worked, how much you have tried and how much more you have to give – but remember to take for yourself sometimes too.

We love you. Happy 14^th Birthday.

Mum xxx