Happy Birthday

Dear Ally,

Today you turn 19.years.old. When you were born, the whole world gathered to greet you. When you were one year old, you started a new Thanksgiving tradition, of everyone coming to Colmar, PA for your birthday. When you were two, you said good-bye to Grandpa Sam. That birthday party was his living wake, as he prepared for surgery that he knew would kill him. I was unconscious with pneumonia the whole weekend. When you turned 8, it was your first Florida birthday, and your whole big family came all the way here to be with you. When you turned 18, you were working on your birthday, and I made you your very own (and first) strawberry pie.

Now you are 19. Took the day off from college classes. Played Nintendo with your boyfriend. Sulked and struggled with something about this day, this age. 19 feels scary to you right now.

But, even though we have big changes coming up this year of 19, we will be here holding space for you, so that a year from now, wherever we may be, you can yell a big deep "YES" to the best year ever.

Love love
Momma