Reasons To Be Born

Dear Stella

I realise that you are probably getting a bit cramped inside my stomach at this point, and your father recons you're so happy on all the vitamins and healthy food etc I've been feeding us for the past 41 weeks... that you're probably so happy in there that you just don't want to come out (you know there's no cake for a few years once you're born!!)... so I wanted to put down some reasons for you of why the world will be a great place to live in & why I would like you to please come and join us on the outside:

• Your dad and I really want to hold you and hug you and feel your skin against ours!
  
• I have been looking forward to kissing your feet since I first felt them kicking me from the inside, 22 weeks ago....please don't make me wait too much longer!
  
• Your dad has a whole collection of amazing music that he wants to share with you - that he has already been playing for you while you're all snug inside - We trust you've been enjoying it already.
  
• There are many creatures beyond dreams that you will be able to discover in this world: there are ones that fly... swim... run fast... ones that look funny / do funny things / make funny noises... the list is endless: you will be able to discover them all!
  
• There are beautiful things that grow on the earth that are rooted into soil called 'plants'. Some grow big - some stay small... some you can eat and others are so pretty to look at! Some are just plain weird! You will probably never see every one of them in your whole life! There are always new ones to discover.
  
• There is a great mass of water - better than amniotic fluid - which stretches wide and deep across where land is not exposed. This is called The Sea or The Ocean. It has tides which are ruled by the moon and the edges of the water, the beaches, experience amazing things called waves which you will be able to swim in and even surf if you want to one day. Your dad is a great wave surfer and he will take you into the sea and teach you all he knows about how it works.
  
• There are two phases of every day: a dark one and a light one. The dark one is called 'night' and is peaceful and calm and has a strange beauty that you will learn to appreciate - if you look up into the sky at night you will see a big ball of lovely light in the night sky. This is the 'moon' which circles the earth. You will also see billions of things called 'stars' which twinkle. You can see patterns in the stars.. some of them have names! Your name means 'a star' because we think you will be the most beautiful, shining little being who will bring us endless joy with the light of your life-glow.
  
  The light phase is called 'day' and that is when most things are awake. Day is full of the most beautiful colours you could ever imagine! There are endless combinations of colours and you will be free to combine them however you choose!
  
• You have a wonderful family who can't wait to meet you. Your Gran is a wonderful, gentle person who you will see often as she lives in Cape Town. Your nanny and grandpa are visiting here in Cape Town already for your birth & they are ready to spoil you with love & kisses for as long as you will know them. They are beyond wonderful. You also have a great grandmother who you will call 'Gog' - she is a bit crazy, but she can't wait to meet you and hold you! (her perfume is very strong and she has a very strange face, but she has good intentions and has led an amazing life). You have 4 cousins and a fifth on the way - aunties and uncles... and then there are SO many friends who also can't wait for your arrival so that they can start getting to know you.
  
• There are other cycles in the world called 'seasons'. There are four main ones: you will get to know the cold one, the hot one & the shorter seasons that go in between. They are all wonderful for different reasons - some plants grow only in one season - some birds only like hot seasons so they fly across the world to keep warm when it starts getting cold.
  
• The whole world is very big and may seem quite scary. There are different parts and regions to the world with people who may seem strange - speak various languages that you will probably not have time in your life to learn - believe in things that are not important to you - some who believe things that may become important to you. The good news is that we will try and give you every opportunity to get to explore these things and decide for yourself. We want to show you as much of the world as we can, and through your experiences, we will see things again, new and fresh, through your eyes experiencing them for the first time.... just as every little thing you learn will be a new realisation, we will re-realise with you & our joy of life & appreciation for 'simple' things will be mirrored from your brand new experience of them.
  
• There will be times when you will be sad, angry or not feel as though you wish to find out what's around the corner. The truth about life on this planet is that things take time and if you allow them time, everything works out in the most perfect way. It is learning to let things unfold naturally that is one of the biggest lessons you will most likely constantly have to remind yourself of.
  
• The 'meaning' of life is different for each person. For me, it is to strive to be the best person that I can be - I have been given the skills to gain knowledge & understating of situations in order to make the best of them. It is not always easy, but I know that I am trying my best to be conscious in decisions & giving the highest value to every moment, because each moment really is precious.
  

I will add reasons as I think of them.... but in short, life is an adventure. There is so much to enjoy - to explore - to learn. There are endless ways to grow. You may want to conquer mental, emotional or physical persuits.. your whole life lies before you - a blank canvas with every colour & creative option available for you to carve your way, weave your life into a tapestry of your choosing.

Please come and meet us soon. I love you. We love you.