Dear Brooklyn,

Sydney and Sho Sho holding Brooklyn.

It’s hard to believe you are ten years old! We wish we could be with you to celebrate your birthday and give you a great big hug and kiss. So instead, Babu and I thought we would write a special story about some of our fond memories of you. I (Sho Sho) will never forget the day you were born. I was so happy I could be there to watch you come into the world with video camera in hand recording the momentous occasion. You were so beautiful and tiny and had a head full of beautiful brown hair. You weighed 7 pounds and 12 ounces and were 22 1/4 inches long. That’s when I knew you were going to be a tall young lady someday. You were the cuddliest baby I ever saw and I loved you from the very first moment I saw you. “Sweetness” is the word to describe you!

Even though we live in Africa, we have been so thankful for all the wonderful opportunities to visit you over the past ten years. We came once for Easter and had Christmas with you while you were still living in Hillsboro and even got to see your Kindergarten graduation. Babu was especially happy to go jogging with you and Sydney and Jackson in the summer of 2011 after he got a pacemaker to make his heart work better.

Over these last ten years, we have watched you grow into a beautiful young lady and it is exciting to see how well you are doing in school, especially your love of reading, which is quite a remarkable thing. We remember how hard you worked to learn how to read and now you are a reading machine. Babu especially wishes he could watch you play basketball because he loved playing when he was a kid. He is excited about the new basketball hoop they put in at the court next to the swimming pool and hopes you all can play together this summer.

I (Babu) remember how hesitant you were when you first started going to the ocean in North Carolina. Now, you are like a fish and are fearless tackling even the most humongous waves. I (Sho Sho) remember the big wave that nearly knocked us completely out. But that didn’t stop you from jumping back in after your head stopped spinning.

We have so many wonderful memories of you at dance recitals, having tea parties together, and movie night with popcorn. We love having the summers together at our new house in Wilmington and we are getting it all ready for you for this summer and can’t wait to see you.

Both Babu and I were thinking about which woman in the Bible we thought best describes your strengths and character and we both came up with a woman named Deborah. Her story is found in the book of Judges chapters 4 and 5. Deborah was the only one out of twelve judges, who was called by God to be a military leader over Israel, a civil leader over Israel, as well as a spiritual leader over Israel.

Deborah had strength, perseverance, and was a godly woman who obeyed the voice of God completely and was a strong leader. We see these qualities in you and believe God has a very special plan for your life.

These pictures are just a few of the wonderful times we have shared with you.

We love you so very much and pray for you every day.

Love,

Babu and Sho Sho

Happy 10th Birthday, Brooklyn