Get Back Up Again

Dear Laila Rae,

I want you to know that I am in awe of you. You inspire and encourage me everyday. You are one of my role models and I strive to live in the world and love the world as much as you do. Every year your birthday theme is one of your favorite shows/movies at the moment. This year the theme is “Trolls.” To me, you are Princess Poppy in so many ways. For one, you are joy, happiness, laughter, sunshine, and rainbows all wrapped up in one Laila package. There is nothing I love more than to snuggle under two blankets (it’s always two) with you on the couch. You giggle freely, but chose your words with care. You love to sing the song from Trolls, “Get Back Up Again,” and I feel like that is your theme song.

Laila, you approach the world with so much optimism and hope. You are fiercely stubborn, determined, and curious. You want to see and experience the world and nothing will hold you back. While these traits are the most exhausting for adults, they have always been my favorite traits about you. You never give up, even if you spend an hour trying to figure out how to climb to the top of your jungle gym. If you do get knocked down, like when you had to sit in time out because your mom would not let you put wet toys on Noni’s bed, and you were determined that is what you wanted to do, you bounced back. You bounced back singing, “I'm really, really, really gonna be okay!”

You inherited the stubborn Palmer gene, and I hope that you are always stubborn when it comes to the things that matter most to you. I hope that you continue to learn when to compromise, as long as you don’t sacrifice your values. Even though you are still non-verbal, you are the best communicator I know. You are incredibly self-confident and march around with purpose and intention. I hope that you always want to jump in puddles and make snow angels. You laugh at yourself freely and spin in circles in order to appreciate all that is around your. You love the world and your people with your entire self. It takes you awhile to warm up to people, but once you do, you love unconditionally. Most importantly, you love yourself.

So this year, my prayer for you is that you never change. I hope that you grow. I hope that you question the world. I hope you experience discomfort and challenges, and you allow those experiences to shape you. But I pray you are always stubborn, determined, and curious. I pray that you always love people and the world with the vigor you have now, even when it tries to knock you down. Even when it wants you to doubt your abilities. Questioning ourselves is important, allowing ourselves the grace to be wrong and mistakes is how we grow, but I never want you to doubt yourself. I pray you always love yourself and when you feel doubt, you sing your theme song. I pray that you learn your ability to love fully is your greatest gift. Sometimes it is hard for your family not to worry about you. The world is not always an understanding place. But I believe you are really, really, really gonna be okay.

Love,

Aunt Whitney Rae