Instagram/@mariamenounos
Maria Menounos has been soaking in every moment while being a mom to Athena, who just turned two. The birthday post from this TV personality was emotional as she marveled at how much time had flown by.
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“Happy 2nd Birthday to my little Athena!” Menounos reflected as the sweet video played, “I can’t believe 2 years have flown by so fast… Watching her grow into her big personality, learn, speak, and everything in between has been such a light in my life!” The video presents several tender moments between mother and daughter as Menounos sings to her child, “Slipping Through My Fingers,” which is the classic anthem of parents who feel their children grew up too fast.
The comments were flooded with an outpouring of solidarity and love for the celebration. The greetings came in both English and Greek in support of Menounos’ heritage. One user wrote in Greek: “Only happiness and health, I pray the Virgin Mary blesses you all,” followed shortly by another stating: “The best sweetest age where they communicate things to you and share their observations!”
There was also some frantic chatter about the resemblance. “Imagine that. Another person on this earth as beautiful as you,” one fan astonished. “Kevin really does have it all,” referring to Menounos’ husband Kevin Undergaro. That Greek crowd did not disappoint with traditional wishes: “Na ta ekatostisei” (May she live to a hundred) and “Polyxroni” (Long life to her).
Judging from comments, followers have evidently stuck with Athena’s life adventures since birth. Several comments look back on watching her growing up with a developing personality, thus implying that Menounos herself has been sharing some of these big life moments with her audience. “The best sweetest age where they communicate things to you and share their observations!” commented a long-time follower who must clearly know the stages of Athena’s development.
The bilingual nature of the comments is reflective of Menounos herself, the daughter of Greek immigrants. She often discusses the import of passing down Hellenic culture to her daughter, and her followers clearly appreciate the fusion of traditions. Even so, simple birthday wishes take on a cultural dimension, as many comments incorporate Greek phrases and Orthodox Christian blessings.
Menounos has spoken publicly of her hard path to motherhood, including IVF struggles and pregnancy problems. This makes every birthday celebration that much more meaningful for those who’ve been tracking her story. “You were blessed with a gorgeous little girl,” says one commenter, acknowledging how meaningful this moment was after Menounos’ struggles with fertility.
The video shows Menounos’ arms enveloping the daughter’s face and then playing with it in fun—a very simple yet evocative image of a parent-child bond. While the clips are shared without showing Athena’s full face, partly preserving the privacy of the toddler, those moments could express the bittersweet joy of watching a child’s growth. Many felt the bittersweet in the comments themselves, remembering how time was always needless to say on the side against them.
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“Athena has entered her ‘terrific-twos’ month, and it looks as if Menounos wants to enjoy every minute of it.” As reflected by this post is an eternal parenting truth: the days are long, but the years are very short. From all the comments, this bunch would be there celebrating with her as every milestone comes by.
This story originally appeared on Celebrityinsider
