Dear Daughter, Happy Birthday

The day you were born I had your whole life planned. You were so fragile, so small, so beautiful. I vowed I would protect you from anything that came your way. I would never let you go! Each milestone you passed was one of the most exciting events that I could be a part of. You would look in my eyes as I rocked you and sang to you, not judging my tone. You would softly close your eyes and drift off into sleep. How I loved holding you in my arms. I saw how determined you were when you started crawling. You would see something you wanted and you tried and tried again until you got there successfully. When you took your first steps, you would fall down and keep getting up. Once you got back up, you would go even further.

Your first day of preschool, I was afraid to let go because you would be on your own. You walked away confident that it would be a good day and made your first school friend. When your sister was born you welcomed her with open arms and became her protector.

When your first boyfriend made you cry, you overcame and grew stronger. When you were with friends you made the right decisions and knew not to be a follower. You knew when to have thick skin, when to walk away, and when to stand up for yourself. You exceeded in your first job and showed that you were a loyal worker.

When you got engaged you were entwined in your fairy tale but you made sure your path was set. As a bride you wanted your perfect day but enjoyed the planning because you knew your end goal was to be with the man you loved.

Watching when you become a mom and how you would hold your babies in your arms and look at them with so much love, I remembered those loving eyes from that infant I held in my arms so many years before.

To just wish you a happy birthday with love and happiness could never be enough. You may be an adult but to me you will always be my baby. I can’t tell you how proud I am of you and how blessed I am to have you in my life.