Happy Birthday Timmy and Kayla! in In the Meadow

Happy 18th Birthday to Kayla and Timmy! My babies are all grown up. I remember when they were first born at the hospital in Southern California. I took them to see the Pacific Ocean and their eyes became huge! They loved going to the park. They rode in a double stroller and a twin carrier and would watch the other kids playing. I was so shocked when they each stood up for the first time. One day they just did it. By the time they were a year and a half they were moving right along. Afterward they would get back in the stroller and fall right to sleep.

Their baby years were right after 9/11. In some ways it was a similar time to now. It was a confusing time to be discovering the world. They liked to sing along to their favorite songs that were popular at that time.

When they first started school, Timmy would love to draw pictures and bring them home to show me. He liked to draw pictures of our family and neighborhood. Kayla would tell me about everything that happened in school that day. She was very descriptive.

And now Timmy and Kayla are eighteen years old! They have grown into kind, caring young adults. This year they have taken on the leadership role of twelfth-graders and done very well. Kayla was a captain of the diving team and Timmy was a captain of the soccer team. They did great with helping the younger kids. They had difficult roles in the musical and handled them very well. They also helped make sure everything was ready to go for opening night.

They are starting adulthood during a chaotic and difficult time in the world. The spring of their senior year has not gone as they expected it to. There have been many disappointments. They have shown a lot of creativity in being able to continue many of the traditional rites of passage that come at this age and stay connected with their classmates. At the same time, they have shown a lot of compassion for the world around them and understanding of the feelings of others.

As they get ready to go to college and start their independent lives, there will be many joys and challenges. I am very proud of them for all they have accomplished.

Last updated May 12, 2020