My darling Amelia Grace,
On your 25th birthday, there are some things I want you to know.
You are, quite literally, a dream come true.
For as long as I can remember, my deepest desire was always to be a mother. I had dozens of baby dolls that I doted on, carried around, and dressed up with baby clothes from garage sales.
Yes, I wanted to be a teacher, but that was always a sidenote in my mind to my true calling - a mama.
I have told you many times about your first night of life on the “outside,” how I stared at your sweet little face all night long. That’s not an exaggeration. I really did just hold you and look at you, in awe that my dream was realized. My own little one to love and nurture. There is nothing I ever wanted as much as I wanted you and your three brothers. But it all started with you, that day and night, when I was holding my deepest desire fulfilled in all 8lbs 8oz of beautiful perfection.
You grew with such vigor and joy, becoming YOU so quickly. As I looked at the pictures from your conference, you, standing in front of so many people, sharing your passion, other visions of you came to mind. You, in a purple long-sleeve onesie with a dog on the front, Christmas morning, surrounded by me and your dad, Nini, Bobby, and Gram and Gramps Sanders, playing your new harmonica with gusto, pausing only to look around the circle to make sure everyone was clapping.
I saw you, reading Barnyard Dance with Bobby and saying, “One more time” at the end, every time.
I saw you, on a stage for countless school programs, Chapels, and Class Acts.
I saw you on a soccer field, on a football field, at your high school and college graduations.
The name “Amelia” means “industrious” and I don’t think we could have chosen a better name for you, our go-getter, our headstrong beauty whose most-used phrase of toddlerhood was, “I do it!!”
For 25 years now, I have watched you grow, tucking away snippets of a beautiful life unfolding, away in my heart.
You made me a mama and I couldn’t be more proud of the kind, loving, compassionate, loyal, driven, funny, strong woman you have become.
Everything in MY life was building up to yours.
Now, I sit back and watch you fly.
Happy 25th Birthday, my delight of a daughter, my gift from God, my love.
I love you to Pluto and back,
Mama
