Elm Halo
“I have watched you become a mother in a few short weeks, and it has been beautiful. You are gentler, stronger and braver than I ever knew.”
“I have watched this family grow for a very long time, and then there was you. You arrived at the far end of a story I started, and you made it better.”
“I did not say thank you nearly enough this year. So here it is, for every hug, every meal and every time you said we would be fine.”
“Hang your pictures, water your plants and lock the door at night. That is all the advice I have, except that you can always call home.”
“The house never feels quite like Christmas until you walk through the door. Then the lights look brighter, the food tastes better, and everything feels right.”
“Distance means so little when someone means so much. I may not carry you in my arms anymore. But I will always carry you in my heart, even when my arms cannot.”
“I know about the long shifts and the hard days you do not always talk about. You carry so much for other people, and you do it with so much grace.”
“I hope you believe in yourself as much as I believe in you. Wherever your journey in life may take you, always be brave and strong. Just know that when life gets tough, your dad will always have your back.”
“I have been planning your birthday surprise for weeks. You probably figured it out on day one, because I cannot keep a secret from you.”
“I came into your life partway through, and you let me stay. That was your choice to make and you made it, and I am still grateful for it.”
“If this year taught me anything, it is that I married the right woman. You faced every hard day with courage, humor and a lot of love.”
“I never know what to get you, because you already gave me everything. A home, a life we love and a best friend who still laughs at my jokes.”
“We did not touch your room for a long while. I told your mother it was practical. It was not practical. I wanted to walk past an open door and see your things.”
“I stopped counting the candles on your cake a long time ago. All I count now is how lucky I am to spend another year beside you.”
“Sorry is easy to say, so I want to show you instead, every day. You will see it in how I listen, how I help and how I show up.”
“When you blow out your candles tonight, I will be making a wish too. I will wish for many more birthdays just like this one, right beside you.”
“We only see each other at the things the whole family has to turn up to. And every time, within about four minutes, we are straight back where we were.”
“The world will sometimes ask you to be a little less of yourself. Please do not listen. Every bit of you is worth being proud of.”
“I have walked beside you my whole life, but never as proudly as today. When we reach the end of that aisle, I am not letting go. I am just making room.”
“You spend your shifts making sure everyone else is comfortable and safe. Today it is your turn, so let me take care of you for a change.”
“You always talked about the teacher who made you love learning. Now you get to be that teacher for someone else, and you will be wonderful.”
“You have been quietly getting me ready for this since long before there was a date. Not the dress or the flowers. The part about how to stay kind when it is difficult.”
“Even on your birthday, you will probably be looking after someone else. So let this card look after you for a minute, and remind you how loved you are.”
“They say you should marry your best friend, and today you are. I hope you laugh together every day, just the way you do now.”