And in case you are wondering, I did NOT wait until the very last night to write this (even though I had two months).
Here is what poured out of me...
What can I say about Alyssa? She came into the world screaming and hasn’t settled down since. She is smart, kind, beautiful, sensitive, tough, happy, strong, and has an enduring spirit. Nobody gets in her way (at least not for very long)! She does what she wants to do and is usually pretty upbeat about it. She knows who she is and wants the whole world to know too. She is a phenomenal athlete, matching her talent with her attitude. She has the most goals, most blocked goals, most assists, and most yellow cards on her soccer team. She loves life and the people in it. She has faced adversity (probably more than she deserves) and she has always come out shining. She sees the good in people, but God help you if you cross her because she will get you. Ally Rae has a smile that will light up a room, a physique that will make a grown woman cry (out of jealousy, I speak from experience, don’t judge me), a confidence that will get her though life, a determination that will move mountains, an energy that radiates from her, and a soul that is light itself. My sweet Alyssa has changed my life and I could never describe her in only 1,000,000 words. It would take many, many more words to paint an accurate picture of how deeply Alyssa has enriched her family, her friends, her coaches, and the people around her. She doesn’t do anything quietly and she lets you know when you get out of line. She is not shy, or refined, not politically correct, or even correct most of the time. But she believes with such a passion that you find yourself wanting to be more like her. She is not perfect. In fact, I have found myself with my hands cupped over her mouth more times than I can remember, but she is truly a survivor and I have nothing but love and respect for my little girl. I asked others to describe her and their words are: ”one of a kind, refreshing, extremely expressive, determined, funny, unstoppable, extremely loving, truly generous to those she deeply cares about, continually growing, always giving.” And none of these words touch on her desire to live life laughing (gotta love the unplanned alliteration). Alyssa is funny. She is smart, and intuitive, and quick, and witty. She giggles all day long, even when she is alone. I smile just thinking about her… And creative… wow, this girl can make anything. She draws, paints, sews, writes, colors, designs… I don’t think there is anything that she can’t do. Perhaps it would have been easier to describe what Alyssa is not. She is not boring, dumb, lazy, unfriendly, or unwilling and she is never embarrassed. She has never been daunted, even when in trouble; she has always kept her hope and her smile. Her grandparents call her the terminator because she is always touching, moving, breaking something, or looking for something. This girl lives on the edge. She doesn’t do life half-way. She goes for it.
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