Happy 20th Birthday

Dear Brooke,

my dear daughter, twenty years have passed from the day I first held you in my arms. It’s been an exhilarating journey being your mom. No, it hasn’t been all bliss and lollypops and gum drops, you and I both know this.

You taught me how to be a mom.

You taught me how to love unconditionally. You taught me how to embrace life. You taught me how to have confidence.

Yes, I know, it’s a mom’s job to teach her children, but on this mother-daughter-deal I think I learned more from you.

When you were born, I was in no way ready to be the mom that I needed to be. I was still growing-up myself. You got the brunt of all my first-time mom mistakes. Like… the time I thought you were dying because your temperature reached 105 degrees, only to realise I did not shake the thermometer to clear it before I t moook your temperature?” I was on the phone with the doctor at the time and quickly said, “Oh never mind. I did it wrong.”

I did it wrong.

“I did it wrong,” that was my theme verse while raising you.

I watched you grow into a capable woman of God, beautiful inside and out. Such talent and grace, with wisdom way beyond your years.

I got to watch you surrender your life to Jesus Christ. I got to watch you get baptized.  Someday I will get to watch you walk down an aisle and into the hand of a man we respect and love, knowing you would always be loved and well cared for. You chose well.

One of the greatest joys of motherhood is watching your kids do stuff (dealing with disappointment, overcoming, soaring) better than you. The joys of motherhood are realized in having a daughter such as you.  You have always known what you wanted to become and look at you reaching for that dream and doing amazing at it.  It warms my heart to hear from your employers just how wonderful you are in the work place.

I am glad the younger version of me is better than the original.

Brooke -happy birthday, my dear daughter, thank you for making my world brighter than I ever thought possible.

I love you now and forever… Mom