Elysha and I have a teenager today. Clara turns 13 years old at 11:50 AM.
When your baby is born, there is no telling who they will grow up to be. You have hopes that they will be happy and healthy, but everything else is an unknown. You just have to wait and hope and see.
Clara has turned out to be a bundle of wonderful surprises.
Clara Susan Dicks is…
The most ravenous reader who I have ever known
A relentlessly loyal sister
A lover of terrible television shows
An enthusiastic singer
Loud at all times
An ardent, sometimes angry feminist
A fierce advocate of the neurodiverse
Proudly Jewish
An enthusiastic artist
A lover of grilled cheese, pizza, apples, and almost nothing else
A writer of novels and fan fiction
A self-imposed student of history and mythology
An unrelenting, undeterred, oftentimes unwanted teacher of mythology
An ally of LGBTQ folks everywhere
A constant listener of audiobooks and music
An early riser
A loving granddaughter
A fan of museums – both art and science
An adorer of chocolate
A Harry Potter enthusiast
An occasional stomper and door slammer
A loyal and loving cousin
A subscriber to many educational YouTube channels
A drinker of milk
An incessant talker during movies
An obsessive of babies, small children, and cats
An ardent rule follower
A Minecraft builder
A collector of special things
An unabashed nonconformist
The daughter of two proud, blessed, head-over-heels in love parents
