Ashby Bow
“I helped you carry the boxes up the stairs and pretended they were light. The heavy part was driving away, and I still smiled the whole way home.”
“You always left the biggest cookie on the plate for santa. I never told you who ate it, but I think you have worked it out by now.”
“Stand tall, even if you fall. I will always have your back. When you're too afraid to look ahead, look right beside you. I will always be there. You are and always will be one of the best things that ever happened to me.”
“It took me too long to say this, and that is on me, not you. I am sorry. I miss you even when you are in the next room.”
“I have loved every road we have traveled together, even the wrong turns. Especially the wrong turns, because that is where we laughed the most.”
“Every house on our street put up lights, but ours had the brightest one. It was you, running through the hallway and singing every carol off key.”
“You make every ordinary day feel like a little celebration. So today is your day, and I want it to be the best one yet.”
“I remember every precious moment, from your first smile to your first dream. So much of my heart is made from all the memories we've shared together. Someday when the pages of my life end, you will be the most beautiful chapter.”
“In a few minutes I will walk you down the aisle, and I am trying to hold it together. I want you to know that every step of the way here has been my honor.”
“Your birthday has always felt like a gift to me as much as to you. It marks one more year of watching you become exactly who you were meant to be.”
“When you were small, I made a list of everything I hoped you would find. Kindness, courage, a good laugh and someone who sees you clearly. You found all of it.”
“You care for patients at work and fevers at home, sometimes on the same day. I have never seen anyone carry so much with so much love.”
“My heart walks with you and holds you even when my arms cannot. You have given me so many reasons to be proud. Take pride in how far you've come and have faith in how far you can go. You'll always be my little girl.”
“This year you get flowers, a quiet hour and a long nap with the door closed. We will keep the noise down, or at least we will try very hard.”
“I thought of you today for no reason at all, and it made me smile. That happens more than you know, usually at the grocery store or in the car.”
“From the moment you arrived, my life changed in the most beautiful way. I may not always say it, but you mean the world to me. Always keep me in your heart, for you are always in mine, yesterday, today, and forever.”
“I've given you roots to keep you grounded in love and values. Now spread your wings and soar. You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and more capable than you know.”
“Anyone can fill a house with furniture. You filled ours with laughter. It has felt like home from the day you moved in.”
“Always remember you are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think. You believed you could, so you did. Be proud of the work you've done, the person you've become, and the difference you will make. I will always believe in you.”
“You make the phone calls I cannot make and you have never once said so. The school. The bank. My own mother. You just pick up the phone and handle it.”
“I'm not perfect. I'll make mistakes, say the wrong things, and sometimes let you down. But you'll never find anyone who loves you as much as I do. I'm sorry for the times I hurt you.”
“I blinked, and the little kid who followed me everywhere became a grown woman. I miss that kid sometimes, but I like the person she grew into even more.”
“Today you do not have to plan, fix, remember or organize a single thing. I have got it all covered, so sit back and let us make a fuss over you.”
“Your father was a great deal of trouble and I was far too busy to notice most of it. I am not busy now. That is the only reason I have seen everything you have done.”