Happy Quarter of a Century Birthday, Emily!

Em,

Tomorrow you turn 25. I can remember turning 25, and the mixed emotions that I had on that day. We are quite different, but I'm sure some of those emotions are identical. Turning 25 was bittersweet because I really thought at 25 the picture of my current life would include at least one child. I thought I'd be chasing a toddler around on my 25th birthday or arranging an evening out with a babysitter at home watching our little one. My how different things were at 25 than I thought they would be! I'm not going to lie, birthdays since then have had the exact same effect on me. Turning 27 was especially hard, because I thought I'd be done having kids by now. I certainly told myself I'd never have kids after 30. My how different things are at 27 than I thought they would be!

Why do I tell you these things? You may be feeling frustrated, angry, uncertain, and/or afraid with your picture at 25. I was. It's perfectly fine if you do (or you may not, you seem to be quite a bit stronger than me), but don't let those emotions define you when they show their ugly faces. I've told you before that I am absolutely confident that you will get everything you want out of this life. Accepting that your desires can come, but outside of the timing you'd hoped for, will set you free from those nasty emotions from the beginning of this paragraph. I struggle with accepting this, but I pray you don't.

I'm so honored to be your friend and sister, Emily. I've always admired the compassion you have towards others. Your commitment to being a great daughter, sister, and friend is something I admire greatly. I hope that you have an amazing birthday, and always remember what a beautiful person you are. Great things are here now and even better things ARE coming!

P.S. I got your back.