Dear 13
![Image](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidTnAbFFMJdDsW1OHL3z0ktJma6dMrvFaBtPYcTXAa-G1TJUu18YWUXSDwLVOgt46YRJvpr8M0u941Z_iel5rPdisD55n79NsiwSGuf-UNpGHjSiaCaK7DiUtsWco8fpB39LCMLTxA7AgF/s400/27973391_10155517593103370_8618901331263147889_n.jpg)
Hey Kid, Happy 13th birthday! You're finally a teenager! Sometimes I think about the day you were born, after the dust had settled and the nurses had moved you to the nursery. Your dad and I went to the lobby of the hospital to make some calls. When I walked back to the nursery wing, my heart was racing. I had this terrible fear that I wouldn't remember which one was you, that I wouldn't recognize my new daughter. After all, I didn't carry you in my womb and we had only just met. I remember seeing a row of bassinets, each one containing a newly-arrived human. I nervously scanned the row. But, I knew you right away. I've always known you, baby girl. I know your tender heart and your crazy curls. I know your green eyes and your fear of spiders. I know your infectious laugh and your insistence on pulling doors that clearly say "push." I know you. I am so very proud of the young woman you are becoming. I love how you treat other people with kindness an