The first best friend I’ve ever had was the daughter of my godmother (who is one of my mom’s best friends). For as long as I can remember, that friend of mine, Sassha, has been in my life. We grew up collecting pebbles in our kindergarten playground, playing with our Bratz and Polly Pocket dolls, and sharing candy friendship bracelets as we read our matching Little Mermaid books. In high school, we spent our lunch break either reading or doing something random, like looking for shapes in Cheetos pieces.
Some Fridays, I would ride home with her from school, and during the occasional sleepovers, we would climb onto her rooftop and whisper wishes upon the stars. We were just kids back then.
Now, we are both in our 30s doing things adults do. Sassha has a daughter named Saige and I have the honor of being that little girl’s godmother.
Today, it will have been exactly three months after Saige’s first birthday party, and I still cannot get over how my childhood best friend just threw her daughter a charming bakery-themed bash. Oh, how time flies! At that party in Oakridge, there were games for both children and adults, a cupcake designing station and so much food to go around. It was a party thrown in typical Sassha-fashion: super fun, made with love and decorated with a dash of whimsy.
But I’m not surprised, because Saige is the kind of baby who is so easy to love. Looking at that little girl, I see my best friend. She has her mother’s spirit — adventurous and unafraid, brilliant and bright-eyed — ready to hit the ground running and conquer the world while she’s at it.
As her ninang, I cannot seem to remember if I got to write her a proper letter yet, but here’s one that I hope she reads someday:
Dear Saige,
First of all, listen to your mother.
Be sweet, but never sugarcoat the truth. Be kind, but never small. Be curious—ask why, how, and “can I try?”
Say thank you often, say sorry when it counts, and say yes to adventures that scare you just enough. Laugh loudly. Dance badly. Love fully. Take up space. Remember that you are loved.
You are not just your mother’s daughter — you are the echo of every wish she once whispered into the stars and the answer we never saw coming.
Happy first orbit and a fourth around the sun! The world is your stage and you, my darling, were a star born to dazzle.