So while many are busy getting ready for the holidays this week, in my house we celebrate. My oldest daughter was born on Christmas eve and this year she will be 16. I remember when they told me my due date was Christmas eve. I thought to myself that no one ever has their babies on their due dates. Well she decided to prove me wrong. Time sure does fly. The whole reason my husband joined the Army was to provide a good stable home for his "Princess". So because her birthday falls on a holiday we try to make it extra special so she feels like it isn't just Christmas, but it is her special time also.
So last year my daughter started planning this super extravagant sweet 16 party. We had found a DJ, picked a date, and we had checked out different locations to host it. I had started to budget to give her this amazing sweet 16 party that she dreamed of. Then late this summer and early fall I watched my daughter change. She went from this sweet, caring, fun, smiling teenager to someone I had not seen before. She told me she didn't want to have a party. I was so sad for her because I knew this wasn't who she was. It was almost like deja vu. I felt like when my husband came home from Afghanistan and he was a completely different person. I started to question her doctor if she may have secondary PTSD. he does believe that may be what is going on with her. It just breaks my heart that my not so little girl is going through this. It sometimes makes me mad at the Army. It makes me frustrated that they send these soldiers off to war and then do not do a good job when they return. It makes me sad that the one reason my husband joined the Army was to provide good for our family and that we get so much pain from it also.
So I started to try and plan a small little party with a few friends from dance. I should say that I LOVE to plan things. When I was planning my wedding I was in college and I really considered changing my major to become an event planner because I loved it so much. I began looking back on all her birthday parties and was able to observe and remember each year and what was going on with our live. where we were stationed, If my husband was deployed. and the year he got out of the military and she was struggling to find her place in the civilian world. I needed my daughter to know that no matter how much she is struggling right now and no matter if she feels alone in the world that we love her and that she has so many people that care about her. I found someone to make a cake because I didn't want her to see me making one at home. I made her a money cake since she is a teenager and what teenager doesn't love money. It all came together with in a two week period. I was very pleased and hoped that it would cheer her up even if only for a few hours. So yesterday I dropped her off at drivers ed and went to pick up the balloons and the cake and decorate the restaurant. I was able to get everything done and looking perfect before I had to pick her up. We arrived just after 4 to make sure that her friends had a few minutes to arrive. We got there and she was happy and had a smile and I think she knew that even though she had become distant from her friends during this time that they still care about her.
The celebration is going to continue on all weekend. We will mix up our holiday traditions with her birthday. Today I took her and my youngest to see The Greatest Showman today. Tomorrow I am taking her and a friend to see Pitch Perfect 3. Then Sunday we have an extra special surprise planned. Can't wait till next week to fill you in on our surprise. I hope that everyone has a Merry Christmas! It is hard to believe it is in less than a week.
No comments:
Post a Comment