SIX YEARS

When I was One,
I had just begun.

When I was Two,
I was nearly new.

When I was Three,
I was hardly me.

When I was Four,
I was not much more.

When I was Five,
I was just alive.

But now I am Six, I'm as clever as clever.
So I think I'll be six now for ever and ever.

A.A. Milne

Today, our dear Mali turned six. Somehow, this seems like the true beginning of a new stage. This morning, I've collected memories of her years.

Mali brand new: Starting off with a difficult birth, Mali was a trooper. When she finally made it out into the world, she was aware and awake and attached. Mark and I were completely overwhelmed with this new kind of love we felt for her.



As a baby, Mali was happy and pleasant much of the time. She loved seeing all the faces of our neighbors in cohousing. She was held my many, many hands and loved by even more. People always commented on how she could stare right down into your soul with her intense eyes.





When Mali was one, she was walking and saying "Dada" and "Mama." She was signing lots of words. She had a strong little body, and loved to be outside.



When Mali was two, she loved music very much. She sang many songs, made up her first song, and loved coming to all her Mama's music classes. She also loved playing outside at the Leslie Science Center or at Sunward. One of her favorite things in the world was to walk through the woods. At two, she became a big sister, which is a role that has fit her so infinitely well. One of the things she does best is love her sister.



Looking back, I realized that three was quite a significant year for Mali. She loved playing with friends, and enjoyed companionship at a new level. She would get overwhelmed with too many people, but loved one-on-one interactions. She had some health concerns during this year, which led us through a time of fear and confusion. We tried desperately to figure out why she was having ongoing episodes of pneumonia. She was tested for cystic fibrosis, and I vividly remember the day of waiting for those results. I was completely consumed with my love for her. She was strong, and the results turned out fine. She continued to have some difficulty with breathing, but it was much less serious. This year, she seemed to glow with love for beautiful things in everyday life. She was three when we moved to Georgia and started a new and different life. This was also the year we started seeing the first signs of defiance and rebellion in our girl. She also had an active imaginary life during this time, with all her "big sisters" and "big friends" visiting frequently and teaching her all sorts of things. She talked about God a lot, and asked lots of questions.





By the time Mali was four, we had weaned her off of her asthma medication, and she has been healthy ever since. We closed that chapter of our lives happily, and moved on with a clear vision of health. When she was four, she was desperate to learn about the world. She wanted to know why and how everything works. She enjoyed animals and loved visiting the zoo, farms, and holding her own kitty, Jack. She continued to love music, and this is when she discovered her love for dance. She made up her own songs and started violin lessons.





As a five-year-old, she was busy being a very good friend to her sister. As Greta was growing, so Mali was growing in her understanding of how to be good to her. She proved to be patient and kind, most of the time. She became more interested in learning to write, and loved stories with a passion. Some of her favorite things included reading books, listening to books on CD, and listening to storytellers (especially Grandma). She learned to knit, and became much more interested in making things with her hands.




Today, she is six. She is still all the things I have described above. And yet, she has reached a stage in life that feels different. She seems to have grown into herself somehow. She enjoys being a good friend, and is learning how to make friends on her own. She still loves music and dance, and continually reports that she wants to be a ballerina and music teacher when she grows up. She loves being silly, and can also be quite serious. She loves solitude sometimes, but then does not want to be alone other times. She loves playing pretend, but also wants to know about what is real. She has always been a spiritual little being, and has always talked about what she believes in. She's begun to set limitations with Greta and with us -- she's not so passive anymore, but lets us know what she will and won't do.