Celebrating 16

Another year...another birthday...and so many fantastic things to celebrate!!

Now that you are 16, one could say you're more or less midway through your teens! Another 2 years and you can legally drive...and before we know it you will be 21 and the world will be your oyster! There's a lot of things on the horizon to look forward to...a horizon that used to seem so far away and that now seems  near enough to reach out and grab.

Quite often, the teen years are plagued with rebellious adventures and a series of distractions that takes one's eye off  the end goal. Kids usually navigate through these years blindly and emerge from their teens with no real direction and slightly off course. At midway, I'm impressed and proud to see the amount of drive and determination you have! You're not just waiting for the next horizon, you are steadily working hard to create it!

You have let no opportunity escape your grasp, seized every moment that has come your way and left no avenue unexplored in your journey towards success. You have had to make sacrifices along the way, give up weekends, outings and often times sleep; but you have also reaped the rewards and had a taste of the sweet flavour of success that comes with that kind of sacrifice. You understand that the sacrifices you make now is in fact the building blocks and foundation to the future you have always dreamed of.

And it really has been a whirlwind of accomplishment...Young biologist course and volunteer at the Aquarium, top 10 in the SAASTA Olympiad and the highest achieving grade 10 learner in this competition and semi-finals in the Cape Argus and Foodlovers Quiz...plus being top achiever and part of several school committees keeps you quite occupied!! But I love that you still take time out for Zee and show an interest in helping Rocky  set goals for himself and achieve even better results and that you don't tire of  Saafi's stories about her crush . Bonds like this have been built since birth and will be difficult to penetrate.

Last year I was worried about change...this year I realise that the butterfly would never become the beautiful creature it is without it! It has been an incredible year of change and growth...a metamorphosis of sorts. You have flourished with every opportunity and experience; and have gained so much confidence along the way. You are blossoming and blooming as you edge your way through every goal and make your way right to the top!!

Part of growing up means that we have to let go and allow you to do just that! But letting go isn't always easy on the heart. Sometimes we like to dwell in how things used to be and lose out on the beauty that the present moment represents.  Knowing that you are forging forward, reaching goals and following your dreams makes it worthwhile even though I sometimes feel like I'm losing out on time with you or miss they way things used to be. While you continue to flourish and grow, always know that I will always be proud of you and all your accomplishments...I have no doubt that you will achieve everything you set out to do in life.

HAPPY 16TH BIRTHDAY AGU!!!

Love Always,

JAAN <3