17!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Amara is turning seventeen. We have one more year until she flies out of the nest. I am excited for her to keep flapping those wings but I am also not 100%  ready. 

Amara started yearning to explore the world before she could crawl. Her sense of curiosity, her zest for life, her drive to experience life fully, her passion to walk lightly on the earth; all these things have been present since she a wee one.

Now my precious Amara Pearl Josephine is turning seventeen. She is ready, mostly, for adulthood. She fluctuates between autonomy and regression. On the side, Amara has been working at Michael's Craft Store for the past 9 months. She has had her drivers license since Aug 2023 and takes her and her sister to school each day. Still there are moments when she wants to me make her food, to coddle her, run a bubble bath, to nurture her. I am grateful for those latter moments. I am not quiet ready for her to zoom off into the world. I am grateful we have one more year to keep her protected under our watch. We have one more years of making memories and of sharing the ups and downs of growing up and living this wonderous life.

Amara, in her deep zest for life, has had quite the sixteenth year. Just after her birthday last June, she got to see Taylor Swift in concert. That was a holy smokes experience, being on the floor and meeting some celebrities, while shaking the night away. 

Amara went to Spain for a 3 week language immersion program (we all went as a family) and made friends from around the globe. Before she got her driver's license, she started taking BART here at home to meet with friends for lunch and shopping. While in Spain, she took public transport in Valencia, after late nights in the city with her language camp friends. Amara helped her grandmother move into an ALF later that summer and met cousins for the first time while in Florida. 

When Junior year stared in the Fall,  Amara became part of student government. She edited the art magazine at school and she placed 3rd in a photography show for local high schoolers this Spring. Junior year has not been so easy though. The year has been hard, no doubt about that. Amara has faced challenges but she still likes to think she is the mayor of Bentley, with her clubs, sports activities and her very sweet friend group. That friend group has been tight since 9th grade and this year she went to prom with them, has had sleep overs and gotten more Starbucks and Boba tea that I can keep track of.

Last September Amara started working at Michaels as a seasonal worker. Amara being Amara, was quickly hired on as a permanent part-time employee. She works approximately sixteen hours on the weekend. She is is learning about earning wages. She is saving her money but sometimes buys concerts tickets. She has been to almost half a dozen concerts in the past year. Little Miss Independent ride shares with friends or takes the BART but she still comes home and gives hugs and shares every detail of her experiences. 

Amara remains a very thoughtful person. Sometimes she takes on too much responsibility and we have to encourage her to be a kid. She is not yet an adult and we want her to enjoy what remaining time of childhood she has remaining. Her thoughtfulness has supported her in making some good friends at Bentley and she has maintained and nurtured those she made in her previous school. Peanut Butter and Jelly are tight as ever and Amara's GS Camp friend, who she met several years ago, has become an important person in her life. Amara treats her friends with kindness and consideration and they do the same. I am deeply grateful for the social supports she has found. Amara has good friends, who do fun things together and are good people. Having been quite the rebellious and mischievous teenager myself, I am beyond relieved that Amara and her friends are the polar opposite. 

Amara's passion and commitment to the earth and being a good steward of the planet is something I think she will carry into adulthood. She still loves to collect rocks and shells. Getting her hands in the dirt or spending time out in nature brings her great joy. It always has and probably always will. 

It has been quite an honor to watch her grow from birth to now. I have loved (almost!) every single moment. Even the tough tantrum moments of the early years; they taught me who Amara was and what she needed. I have loved being there for her every step of the way. I am aware that I have to individuate along side both Amara and Havana both. It is just taking time to digest that. The upside of this all is to see Amara taking flight. She is a colorful, bright, curious, smart and creative person and it will be a gift to continue to witness her journey though life.

In the meantime, we will celebrate Amara as she turns 17! She has asked for Tres Leche cake, art supplies and lip balm! We can't wait to celebrate the day this amazing soul landed on earth and graced all over our live.

Happy Birthday Amara!

Amara in Amarapura, Burma; her namesake village, 2018