"Grow up with me...." Happy Birthday Addy!

Grow up with me.

Let's run in fields and fear the dark together.
Fall off swings, and burn special things,
and both play outside in bad weather.

Let's eat badly.
Let's watch adults and laugh at their idiocy.
Let's sit in the back of the car,
making eye contact with strangers driving past,
making them uncomfortable.

Not caring.
Not swearing.

Let's both reclaim our superpowers;
the ones we all have and lose with our milk teeth.
The ability not to fear social awkwardness.
To panic when locked in the cellar;
still sure there's something down there.
And while picking from pillows each feather,
let's both stay away from the edge of the bed,
forcing us closer together.

Let's sit in public, with ice cream all over both our faces;
sticking our tongues out at passers by.
Let's cry.
Let's swim.
Let's everything.

Let's not find it funny lest someone falls over.
Classical music is boring.
Poetry baffles us both;
there's nothing that's said is what's meant.
Plays are long, tiresome, sullened, and filled;
with hours that could be spent rolling down hills,
and grazing our knees on cement.

Let's hear stories
Learn about parents and forgiveness,
death and morality,
kindness and art,
thus losing both of our innocent hearts,
but at least we won't do it apart.

Grow up with me.
- By Keaton Henson
                                                               Brown-eyed Beauties.

                                  A beautiful girl opening a beautiful present on Christmas morning

                                                                       "Wild like the wind"

                                                             Addy holding a new born me

This poem accurately describes the feelings I've felt as I've realized that my Addy is 18. It really struck me. My childhood bosom friend can vote! I did everything with Adalee and practically worshiped her in years gone past. I still hold in awe her incredible drive and determination. As one might guess from the second to  bottom picture, she is a tough gal. However, she is also a tender, thoughtful person full of a simple, true testimony of her savior. When Addy does something she loves, she does it with fire and zeroes in on that thing, giving herself and her abilities up to it. She has potential in so many different aspects, she is so talented.

Growing up with Addy, we were very different little girls. I wasn't as driven and fiery as Adalee, and I would watch in almost frightened awe as she did brave things that I would never dream of doing; cantering on a horse, or smacking the horse as it gave her a little sass. We used our innate gifts to have grand adventures, putting on plays, and going on adventures along the canal, walking the dogs. I would provide the romantic, artistic part, and Addy would try and work with me and my stubborn ideals of what should happen to make our play world perfect. We jumped on the trampoline till our knees and toes were rubbed black. We joined together in defending our Barbie games against Devin, and we swung underneath fountains of green grapes.

We rebelled against reasonable bed times, and Addy would use sign language to try and communicate with me when the lights were out and we were threatened with separation if they heard one more sound out of us. We faked asleep when adults came to check on us. I went to young womens when I was eight, with Addy. I waited for my turn to play Mary in the nativity for the rest home, a role Addy had previously been privledged to play. We sang as angels together with itchy gold tinsel on our heads. We took baths together, and swam our Barbies around in the warm water. We took "family pictures" of our American Girl Dolls.


We picked raspberries for 25 cents per gallon, and climbed up cherry trees. We shoveled manure during the hot summer, and watched movies in the cool basement. Later on, I poured out my griefs to Addy, and she listened. Just listened. We swam together, and rode horses on long walks along the canal. I went to mutual with Addy. I wrapped presents on Christmas Eve with Addy. We talked about the future, and how old I would be when Addy was a certain age. We talked about boys, and railed on those obnoxious stuck up girls at school, neither of us really knowing what we were talking about. We've sat through long car rides together, eating ourselves sick. We've gone on grueling back pack trips together and eaten cup of noodles around the fire pit. We've played in lakes and swung off swings into ponds. We've waited outside the temple at weddings and slept in the back of a pick up truck during the summer. It's been fun, and we'll have more fun times. I love you Addy. Thanks for growing up with me.