Dear Mei Li,
Happy birthday, my darling. It's sad and exciting how quickly time goes by. I have loved being your mother and I'm grateful that we get to be together forever because frankly, eternity sounds a little boring without my little firecracker.
I recently met a Chinese woman who gave me new insight into your name. Literally, mei means eyebrow and li means beautiful. Mei is the character in your grandmother's and aunt's name. My mother told me that mei also means joy because when you raise your eyebrows, you are joyful. This woman told me that this mei can also mean charming. My dear sweet Mei, you have charm in spades. I've witnessed you bravely walk up to unfamiliar adults and charm them with your sweetness and spunk.
I remember one time, we were leaving Borders bookstore and instead of just walking, you pranced out of the store. A woman entering the store told me, "she looks like she has a lot of pizzazz." Pizzazz, spunk, charm, joy, whatever you want to call it, is your gift, a gift you can use for good.
Your father, your brother, and I all love you very much. Stephen always asks for you when you're not around, "Where Mei Ni go?" You have Papa wrapped around your little finger, and you have become a best friend to me.
I want to talk about the second part of your name, Li. It is the character in my name, meaning beautiful. Physical beauty, although extremely valued by the world, it is not something on which you should base your worth. You are physically beautiful because you have a healthy body with which God has blessed you, but more importantly, you are beautiful and of infinite worth because you are a daughter of a Heavenly King. You are a princess. Please remember that, my sweet Mei Li.
Thank you for the love you give so freely everyday, thank you for bringing so much joy into our home, and thank you for being you.
I love you.
Love,
Mama
