Ashby Bow
“You see the good in people, even when they cannot see it in themselves. I know, because you did it for me, and it changed my whole life.”
“I have watched you show up for your friends, your family and even strangers. You give your kindness away so freely, and it still amazes me.”
“I would not change one thing about you, not even the way you sing in the car. Especially not that. It is one of my favorite things in the world.”
“I chose my words badly, and I know they stung. You did not deserve that, and I am so sorry I said them.”
“I hope the year ahead brings you good news, good friends and plenty of rest. Most of all, I hope it brings you a few reasons to be proud of yourself.”
“Every time one of our kids smiles, I see a little bit of you. The best parts of them came from the best part of my life.”
“I watch you with them and I understand things about my own mother I missed. You are patient in a way I have to work at, and they will never notice.”
“The kids will bring you breakfast in bed, but this one is just from me. I see everything you do for this family, even the things nobody else notices.”
“I still think about those long summer days when you were little. Sandy feet, melting ice cream and you laughing until the sun went down.”
“I made a promise about you when you were far too new to notice. I had no idea then that keeping it would turn out to be the easy part of it.”
“I still cannot explain what you do all day to anyone who asks me about it. This has never once stopped me telling them about it for twenty minutes.”
“Someday I picture us on a porch in two old rocking chairs. Still talking, still laughing and still arguing about the thermostat.”
“You are very small for this necklace and that is entirely the point of it. It is meant to wait in a box until you are big enough to remember today on your own.”
“I know you are already waiting for our baby's first word. With a teacher for a mother, I have a feeling it will come early.”
“I made every mistake with money that a man can make when I was younger. You have made none of them and you have never once said so to my face.”
“We are not related in any way that a form would ever accept as an answer. Every single person who has seen us in a room together has assumed it anyway.”
“There is no paperwork holding this together and there never needed to be. We keep choosing it, on the good days and on the very dull ones.”
“I watched you move your tassel today and tried very hard not to cry in public. I did not manage it, and I am not the least bit sorry.”
“You have given me so many reasons to be proud of who you've become. The proudest moment for me is telling others that you're my daughter. You shine like the brightest star, and I hope you believe in yourself as much as I believe in you.”
“Our kids say please, share their snacks and hug their friends goodbye. People compliment us on it, and we both know exactly where they learned it.”
“As you say 'I do' today, know that my heart walks with you and holds you even when my arms cannot. I hope you believe in yourself as much as I believe in you. May your marriage be filled with endless love, laughter, and beautiful memories.”
“You are the one who remembers the birthdays and makes sure somebody calls. He would tell you he had it in hand. We both know perfectly well who actually does.”
“Believe deep in your heart that you can achieve anything your heart desires. Take pride in how far you've come and have faith in how far you can go. But don't forget to enjoy the journey.”
“You walked into a house that already had its own rules and its own history. You did not try to rewrite any of it. You learned it, and then you added something.”