For You Thing 2, on you your 19th Birthday.

Nineteen.  You are nineteen years old.  Full of joy, hard fought for and grateful for life joy.  Happy birthday to you! What a year eighteen was and what a year nineteen is shaping up to be.  Most notably from this last year was your time spent abroad.  Traveling, learning and growing.  Creating memories with friends that became more like family.  Beginning a special relationship with a young man and cultivating friendships long distance when the time came to an end in Germany.  You have done that so well.  Created time and space and written letters.  Not only have you moved home with us, you've begun a new journey at Apple and are planning your next steps.  College, maybe.  And preparing to move in with your Uncle and Aunt while we move on to Austria.  You've been brave and confident and flexible.  I appreciate the way you share your thoughts, opinions and your heart.  You are who you are and what I see is a beautiful God creation, inside and out.   There is this gift you have, you bring out the very best in everyone.  Cause them to find the truth, speak openly and you encourage them to live authentically themselves.  Mostly you do this by example.  Thank you.  I've seen you, on your bed, notebook at the ready, Bible opened and music playing.  One of my favorite scenes.   This year has also been full of sunset chasing, senior picture taking, solar eclipse watching, Bahama cruising, Cali visiting, tattooing, nannying, acting as the official Nash/Franklin tour guide for all our guests, church searching and community finding, bonfire building and a knee surgery, right at the end of your eighteenth year.  Whew, that is quite full.  

And now you're entering your nineteenth year, a precious and wild gift.  Here's to the year ahead.  To more adventures, more music, to self awareness and digging deeper into the Word, discovering truths, sitting across the table from people that are different than you, learning new things.  Here's to being a bright light, to more laughing, more hugs and more love.  To travel and journeys unexpected.  To dance parties and being a world changer, right where He has you.  Your very own mission field.  Whether it be in the work place, in social gatherings, at music festivals, cafes or shopping for groceries.  He created you for such a time as this and I believe to my core that you, my sweet daughter, are a mighty warrior of the One True King.  

As you grow more independent I pray you never lose sight of your great need for a Savior.  I pray you know that I am here for you, always.  Whether it be 3pm or 3am.  I promise to listen and I will try not to over react.  We may not always agree but I am always on your side.  Please don't stop sharing your life with me, even the hard stuff.  The conversations we don't want to have are usually the ones we need to have.  I will be your champion forever.  And as you grow older, I pray your friend.  I speak life and promise over you, your heart.  Use the gifts He has given you and carry His love everywhere you go and in everything you set out to do.  Keep smiling, it softens hearts and continue fighting for justice wherever you see less than.  Live your story, run your race.  

I love you to the moon and back.  It is nothing short of a privilege to be your Madre, you are a gift daughter of mine.  Happy year of nineteen, may it be the best yet.  xo