Twelve years ago (plus a few days) I became a mother. Taryn surprised us a little, coming a couple weeks early (not that I would have been any more prepared if she'd come on her due date, but I might at least have had some clothes washed for her). Poor Taryn is my first baby. There was a pretty steep learning curve for me and she bore a lot of my insecurities and ignorance.
Before we ever even got pregnant John had decided if we had a girl we would name her Taryn Elizabeth. Taryn is my middle name. Elizabeth was the name of a friend of John's family. She was a fascinating woman who was a wonderful story teller. Her memory never failed, up until the time she died. She was an amazing woman who I was privileged to know for a short time. Here is a picture of Taryn and "Miss Lib".
In the same way that Sam played with Legos at the earliest possible age, Taryn was playing with and looking at books. Taryn is definitely the most voracious reader in the house. And sometimes (frustratingly) gets so lost in her book she hears and sees nothing going on around her. I guess it's good she can escape the craziness in which she lives. And I don't blame her one bit.
Taryn is like me in so many ways (for better or for worse). Her mannerisms, her feelings, her toughness, her perfectionism. My mom and grandmother have been known to call her Melissa.
She loves the outdoors. She loves hiking, the beach, the mountains, camping, etc. She likes hard work outside and did alot of work on the garden and raking the leaves.
She's had to learn patience and selflessness as her many siblings came one after the other. And she has done it joyfully and with much grace. Taryn is the best older sister. She loves to play with the younger kids and take care of them and comfort them. About this picture she said, "There I am with my two, cute, fat sisters."
Not only is she full of the grace on the inside, she is full of grace on the outside too.
And the fact that she's growing up is bittersweet. How could she be 12 already? Time goes so fast. But I'm thankful to God to see the woman she is becoming and I'll always remember the sweet baby she was.
Happy 12th Birthday Taryn. You are beautiful, inside and out.
1 comment:
okay, I'm crying! That was very sweet!
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