I Will

It's a friend's daughter's birthday today. She is eight and it doesn't seem that long ago since she was new to the world. It got me thinking about children and their birthdays. Compared to my own childhood, today's youngsters (most of them) have super birthday celebrations. Not for them our egg sandwiches, simple sponge cakes and the chance to run riot with our cousins.

One of Miss Martha's first birthday parties was at a community hall in a nearby village and I was tasked with delivering her and she was so excited, clutching her present and wearing the Elsa dress her mummy made for her.  When we went into the hall she was quickly surrounded by a group of her friends, most of whom were also dressed in Elsa costumes.

Evie was along for the ride and she must have been about three years old. Her little face said it all. She was stoic but I knew she was feeling it. Her big sister was off to a party and she was not.

As we drove back home I said to her,

You know Evie, when you go to big school you are going to meet a lot of new friends. They will be your friends, not Martha's. And there will be birthday parties and you'll go to them. Just you. Not Martha.

And she said, very firmly,

I will.

And that is just what happened.

July 2014, almost 5 and 3