Happy Birthday, Sava

Dear Sava,

At the end Pi Day at Middle campus a few weeks ago, we got an email from the Middle-school principal, which I feel it my duty to copy and paste here: 
"I have to tell you about something that Sava did today - I was VERY impressed. As you know, we had the Pi Day contest after lunch today.  Sava went last and came in 1st place - I believe he memorized over 100 digits.  Amazing! But it gets better...one of the younger students, Harish, who happened to have won last year by memorizing 200+ digits, ended up stumbling this year and making a mistake somewhere in the 80s or 90s.  He was crying, even though he came in 3rd place because he had worked so hard at his attempt to memorize 314 digits - I think he just got nervous.  When the three students came up to be recognized as the winners by their peers, with the entire school watching/listening, Sava intentionally took the microphone and said, "I want everyone to know that Harish knows many more digits than I do - he memorized over 300 digits." Everyone cheered and applauded.  I was so proud of Sava.  Several teachers pulled him aside to recognize his kindness. You are certainly raising a humble, kind, and empathetic young man."

This story pretty much sums up everything I would otherwise try to illustrate with my own anecdotes from the past year: as we celebrate twelve years of you on this earth and embark on the thirteenth, I am amazed at the thoughtful, kind, considerate young man you are becoming.

you asked me to take this picture the night before your birthday; this taking a picture of yourself the night before has become a firm tradition

At age twelve: 
1. You love music. You listen to Coldplay first thing in the morning, and you listen to Coldplay as soon as you come home. You continue to play both piano and saxophone, and you genuinely seem to enjoy both. Just a week or so ago, you performed on stage with saxophone for the very first time during a Pinewood concert. (Sadly, I don't have photos of your playing instruments because you don't like me to hang around when you are playing.)

2. You love skateboarding, as well as the friends who share the skateboarding bug with you. Tomorrow you'll be attending the third skateboarding birthday in a month.

3. You love the outdoors, and you take special pride in your recently acquired solo tent. The tent was the only thing you wanted for your birthday, and watching you set up the tent and pack it--twice over the course of three days while camping Joshua Tree National Park--reassured us that you are ready for the next stage of independence.

4. When all is said and done, you are the best brother that ever lived. You care deeply about Raya, and you often protect her both from the world and from herself. You play with her, read with her, and teach her things. My favorite sibling moment over the past year involved your spending your own allowance money on an American Girl doll (Kaya) that you wanted to have in order to be able to play with Raya (who also got a doll). Even though, in hindsight, you might regret spending $140 on a doll rather than on a drone, the fact of your purchase remains a testament to your generosity of heart. (Also, how much does your mom love the fact that you don't give a whit what anyone might think of your playing with a doll? A whole lot. I adore you for being able to think your own thoughts, follow your own instincts, and be your own, very independent person. May you never lose these qualities.) 

looking over Palm Springs

Joshua Tree: Indian Cove campground

5. You are a loving and caring friend to your school buddies as well as to Johnny two doors down. You will do anything for any of your friends, and you will do it without a moment's hesitation. 

6. You still like to read (thank God). Your interests range from Big Nate to John Green via Scott Kelly. You also, avowedly, love poetry, thanks to your wonderful language-arts teacher this year, Ms. Law, who introduced you to books like Crossover. 

7. You love board games and especially, at this moment, you love XWings, which Tata bought you for your birthday. The two of you played for about three hours one day last weekend.

8. Most important for me right now? Deep down, you are still a kid. 

I know that the teenage years are looming, and I try to savor every single moment when you sit down to for a heart-to-heart talk or you give me a hug or  you ask that I play a game with you (which, lately, I have barely had the time to do). 

I look forward to seeing how you develop in the next stage of life, but I am in absolutely no rush to get there. I love the kind, funny, generous, thoughtful, trusting kid in you, and I hope that a part of him remains always in your soul.

Happy twelfth birthday, my love.