Daughters
“I was hard on you about the grades and I thought I was doing you a favor. You turned out clever in ways nothing at school ever measured, and I was wrong.”
“Your kindness at work is a gift that does not need any wrapping. You give it every shift, and it means more to people than you will ever know.”
“You have opinions I did not give you and you argue them better than I would. That was always the point, though nobody warns you how odd it feels to watch.”
“Mostly because you're too heavy now and my back can't take it! Stand tall, even if you fall. When life tries to knock you down, this old lion will always have your back. You shine like the brightest star, kiddo.”
“I used to slip little notes into your lunchbox when you were in school. You are a little old for that now, so consider this card the grown up version.”
“There is nothing left for you to prove to me and there never was. I was already proud a long while before you achieved a single thing on the list.”
“You apologized once for being difficult when you were younger. I did not know what you meant. I had already forgotten all of it, which is not the same as forgiving you.”
“There is nothing special about today. No birthday, no holiday and no big news. I just wanted you to have something that says how much you mean to me.”
“When they pinned you today, I had to look at the ceiling for a minute. All I could see was the kid who patched up every scraped knee on our street.”
“The best marriages are not found. They are built, one kind day at a time. I have watched you build good things your whole life, so I am not one bit worried.”
“I still think about pulling you up the hill on that old red sled. Your cheeks were pink, your mittens were soaked, and you wanted one more ride.”
“I was away for work for most of the years you were small and I told myself why. The reasons were all true and not one of them was worth the thing it cost me.”
“You have something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue. Here is one more thing to carry with you today, and it is your dad's love.”
“I have walked beside you to the bus stop, to school and to your first job. Today I get one more walk with you, and it is the one I am proudest of.”
“Somewhere along the way, the kid I carried on my shoulders became one of my favorite people. I love our talks, your opinions and even the times you prove me wrong.”
“Your first grocery run will be mostly snacks, and that is completely fine. You will figure out the rest the way you figure out everything, one step at a time.”
“One chapter closes today, and a whole new adventure begins. Wherever it takes you, I will be cheering for you every step of the way.”
“Today our family gets a little bigger, and I could not be happier about it. Anyone who loves you the way you deserve is welcome at our table forever.”
“Every second away from you breaks my heart. I can't stand being apart. Please know that I love you more than any fight we will ever have. You mean everything to me.”
“You used to wear a paper crown on your birthday from breakfast to bedtime. You may have outgrown the crown, but to me you are still the guest of honor.”
“You studied for that exam like your whole future depended on it. It did, and you passed it, and now your whole future is wide open.”
“My secret to a long marriage is patience, good coffee and saying sorry first. It is not fancy advice, but it has served me well for a lot of years.”
“I wish you peace this Christmas, and the kind of joy that stays around. You give so much of it to everyone else. You deserve a little back.”
“I looked for a bigger word than proud for this card, and I could not find one. So I will say it plainly. I am so proud of you I can hardly stand it.”