1. Tatum is brave. She’s doing things with her spirit that grown adults are too scared to do: introspect, reflect, discuss, own, transform.
2. She creates. She has long been known to be super talented at drawing and painting. She painted a gorgeous Georgia O’Keefe-inspired calla lily for Call this week. Her newest preferred art form is jewelry making and she’s making intricate rings now. The kind you’d find in boutique shops.
3. She experiments. With her hair, her nails, her fashion, her spirit. She’s not afraid of change, which reflects a person who’s not afraid of education.
4. She’s funny. There’s no one who can make Finn and Clara laugh harder than Tatum. She can make new friends laugh, parents, uncles, grandparents, new friends, strangers… she just has a knack for it.
5. Tatum can turn those strangers into friends in a flash. When she was little, by the time we left an airport play area, she’d have two new friends and the group playing an organized game. Now, she can walk into a new place and have friends within a few days. This is not easy for most as a young teenager, but she makes it look way. And once you’re a friend, she’s loyal and generous.
6. She’s a good listener. One thing that makes her able to make friends is her ability to pay attention to people around her and just listen to them. That’s a skill. And she wants to hear what others have to say.
7. She’s spunky. This girl channels spirit and fun. There’s like a little bit of elf in her that makes her love getting into some mischief and just bringing some happy into any situation.
8. She’s got will. When she puts her mind to something, Tatum can’t be stopped. When she channels this well, it will serve her very well in life as someone who achieves goals and gets things done.
9. Tatum shows that get-it-done attitude quietly. She just gets her chores and obligations done without a lot of fuss and chatter. That’s a huge help to me as a mom.
10. She’s kind of fearless. She’s the first in line to jump off a cliff, literally. She did that recently with her group in Sedona, as a matter of fact. She’s always been ready to try something new. She wanted to do sleepovers with friends at like 4 years old. She’s ready, bring on the world.
11. Tatum is interesting. People want to be around Tatum because they are fascinated with what she’ll say next. She thinks interesting things, and sometimes they just fall out of her mouth.
12. She bends strongly toward social justice. She wants to see people being treated fairly and with dignity, and she’ll speak up for that. One time last year she created a big chalk art street mural for the Black Lives Matter ✊🏽 movement. I had to ask her to edit the cuss word towards the middle of the mural, but still – I love her concern for the oppressed.
13. She is loving, affectionate and kind. Tatum is quick to say she loves you, she’s quick to give hugs. She brims with affection and love for her family and friends. She has a deep, loving heart. When she opens a present from you, she’s fully focused on it (on you) and the thought behind it. She cares about the relationship through the gift.
14. She’s Tatum.
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