Fantastic 15!

Happy Birthday, Greta!  Another circle around the sun, and I am feeling incredibly nostalgic as I sit here at the keyboard with only minutes left in your birthday.  Maybe it is current events in general that brings the surge of memories from the last 12 months, maybe it is the exhaustion of working in the time of COVID-19, and maybe it is just the reality that Poof!  A decade and a half has passed. Just. Like. That. Whatever it is, enjoy this little walk down memory lane.

You had an incredible year, Chickadee.  Following your fete last May, you rocked the final two months of 8th grade, received countless accolades from teachers, and said a bittersweet farewell to Van Antwerp Middle School.  But you barely had a chance to rest before you zipped off by train to Savannah, Georgia for a week with your Girl Scout Troop, leaving your dad and I wondering if we were crazy to let you ride a train for 24 hours straight!  You stepped in as a true leader and dear friend on that trip as you balanced teen (and adult!) drama with grace and wisdom, ensuring positive memories to last a lifetime.

Your love of learning had you attending classes over the summer at Clarkson, St. Rose, and UAlbany, as well as music camp at Bristol Hills.  Daddy and I love that you got to introduce Esme to the wonders of music in the woods, and we look forward to you both enjoying another week there this year if coronavirus cooperates! You rounded out the summer with your grandparents and cousins, making memories at South Lake and the State Fair.

In the midst of those summer days, you buckled in and blasted through your Girl Scout Silver Award.  Your Cadettes for Crosswalks initiative involved working closely with the Town Supervisor, Planning Board, and Counsel.  You had gathered and presented petitions to the Town Safety Committee last year, and this year you doubled down to research state and local laws, proposed amendments to the town code, and presented at Town Board meetings.  Your efforts paid off when beautiful zebra stripes appeared between the town library and town hall.  Even more impressive was your focus and dedication to complete the incredible Silver Award reporting requirements, tracking hours, meetings, research, proposals, and paperwork.  You worked to the wire and turned it in with hours to spare. More than simply succeeding in your plan, though, you learned that one person truly can make a difference. That is a lesson that can take you on many adventures in the years to come!

High school kicked off with you walking to school every day with your neighborhood girlfriends, weighed down by books that we are certain weigh as much as your brother.  We know you enjoy the independence, and I love to see you chattering away with them.  For ninth grade, you took on a challenging courseload, and are thrilled to finally be in classes where people are there "by choice" and as excited and ready to learn as you are.  We are very proud of your effort and organization, which has continued without pause while NY is on P.A.U.S.E. You are balancing work with play, though, which is so important.  Lincoln, Yeager, and Mittens are all grateful for that!

A new undertaking this year is private flute lessons, which ensures you don't have to miss classwork at the high school.  You've always played beautifully, and now your musicality is starting to develop.  I love to hear you practice! While I know that many new pieces are very difficult and require a lot of work, I hope you continue to enjoy the challenge and results!

You've embraced the many new opportunities at NHS, especially multiple clubs, including bee keeping, rocketry, french, and Model U.N.   The latter afforded you an amazing opportunity to attend a conference in Philadelphia, where your research, advocacy, and public speaking skills were further refined.  We are happy to see such diverse interests and look forward to the adventures to come.  I do worry that you are truly honing your debate skills, and daddy and I won't stand a chance in the coming year! Decorum, Delegate! Decorum!

That weekend will always be etched in my mind, because while you were at MUN, we learned Aunt Chris had died.  It broke my heart to have to tell you that news when you arrived home, and to have you experience such grief at your age. But such sadness comes from a place of deep love. You helped me so much with preparations for the funeral, and your support in the three months since means more than I can write.  The compassion, sensitivity, and love you have is remarkable and you are a devoted daughter, granddaughter, niece, and cousin. We love you and all that you bring to this world.
 
All the qualities I've been writing about are just a handful of the many incredible things that make you, you.  Fantastic 15, indeed!  Enjoy this age, precious Greta. We certainly enjoy watching you figure out this topsy-turvy world! And make a wish!