So it's the eve before your birthday and the solstice. In keeping with tradition I am writing your annual birthday letter. One day I will go back and find all the old ones and print for you. I wish I could find your baby book with my preggie letter but it's in storage somewhere in this house. Everything I do is with Holland in mind and our potential move.
They say what a difference a year makes. Last year on this very day we had your 18th party and wow it was HECTIC but so much fun. After such a long lockdown everyone was ready to let their hair down and party like rock stars. Daniel, Brandon and Jaques aka Miss 'Rona made it extra fun even if they did drink most of the booze. And you looked so beautiful too. I never imagined a year later COVID would still be around but more than that, you would be living on the other side of the globe. So we have the longest night of the year and you have the longest day.
It's weird for me not to follow our tradition of waking everyone up with tea and bringing your gifts as you all sit bleary eyed while I am perky and excited. Praying for you and then watching you open your prezzies and LOVING them as I am such a winner gift giver. Breakfast with your dad and then off to school. Cupcakes for the class when you were smaller. Now you are there and I am here but in 41 sleeps time I will be there for our vacay! How fortunate are we?!
I know your love language is someone taking the time to make you feel special and appreciated so I hope the gift Dad & I put together makes you feel just that. I also hope you like the practical gift. I know you will!
A year ago you were navigating your way through messy life trying to get through matric during COVID, learning to drive a car, figuring out who you were and how to deal with shit and all the curve balls that 2020 threw our way. And you did Scarlett! You finally learned to drive even if I aged a few years. You had your dance looking SO exquisite and it was actually better with no partners. Once again apologies for overdoing it at pre's. I still say it was the parma ham in the hot sun that did it after a 10 year pork abstinence and not too many G&Ts. Oh well, I had fun and so did you girls!
Your finals were tough and you obviously studied way too hard Rebeka-Style but you are definitely the only Novitzkas or Loebenberg to matriculate with 6 As and a 79% for Afrikaans. (That one is a mystery considering how kak your Afrikaans is!) I am glad you got to go away for a little bit with your girls even if it meant we all got frikkin' 'rona!!
I am still in awe of you and how you jumped on a plane last minute and flew off to Holland to live with strangers and take care of such young kiddies. I am grateful Sarah has been so sweet to you and it's comforting to know she is around. You going to miss those little people even if they gave you a literal run for your money.
Dad & I are also so happy you have Veronia and Derrick to act as surro 'rents to you. I am beyond excited for you to start your degree at Maastricht. What a life changing experience to study at a foreign university. And yes how I wish it was me and I was 19 and studying in Holland. You are living my dream life!
For a social loud extrovert going off to Holland is easy. For an introvert very young Saffa like you it's huge and you have figured it all out. This is your butterfly year Rebeka. This is your time to literally shine and sparkle. You have done the hard grind, you have been the caterpillar and you have spent all this time in your cocoon and now it's 2021 and your birthday and I know you are going to fly. I just do. And yes you will have hard days and days of doubt and lonely days but your resilience is so much more and you have grown up so much in the past 6 months.
I love your loud laugh, I love your keen bright mind. I love your nerdy goofiness. I love all the millions of memories we have made over the last 19 years. I love your dog, I love your odd friends, especially Emma & Tash. I know I meddle and sometimes I am a lawnmower parent and I would like to tell you I will stop but we both know that's a lie. I will trust you to know what you need and what you don't need though. But I will still be that meddling FB mom because there is nothing more beautiful to me than seeing you happy. I hope you have a magical birthday and I wish I was there with you but at least I will be there for your 21st when we are living there. I have realised I can't not live in the same country as you. Just no way!
Happy Happy Birthday Rebeka Scarlett!
From your Ma x
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