EIGHTEEN.

She turned 18 yesterday.  She is an adult.  She can manage her own senior year. She can sign herself into the doctor's office. She is excited to vote.  She registered last month, as soon as she could.  She wanted a lemonade birthday cake. The only non-chocolate cake person in the family.  She is lemonade all the way. She knew this was the last birthday of her childhood, and she drank up every moment, from the new Happy Birthday banner made just for her, to the 100 or so Happy Birthday wishes on Facebook.  Most people take those wishes for granted, not her.  She got excited every time she checked and there were more.  Genuinely excited and giggly.  She is definitely lemonade.

She is the girl who shops with her same-sized 12-year-old sister in mind.  She is the girl who gives private tumbling lessons to a sometimes ungrateful 9-year-old.  She is the girl who spent some of her birthday money on that same 12-year-old sister because she was having a sad day.

She is the girl who wanted, on her 18th birthday, her SATURDAY 18th birthday, nothing more than to go shopping and to dinner with her Mom.  On a Saturday, on her birthday.  She is the girl who was so excited to show her Mom all of her favorite stores at Scottsdale Mall.  Even though the Mom had to drag the baby.  She didn't care.  She is that girl.

She is the girl who agonized for 3 hours over whether or not to return to H & M and buy the faux fur fox stole with the real fox face.  In the end she didn't, because it was too expensive.  But she is the girl who wanted that stole.  And she is the girl who would have worn it.  Everywhere.

She is the girl who is never sad or embarrassed to hang with her parents.  No matter who is looking.  And she is the girl who has always been that way.  She is the girl who shows up every possible time to watch her cousin play varsity volleyball.  Even if she is alone.  Even if it is an away game. She is really that girl.  She is the girl who stayed up until midnight making me a poster for my Sunday lesson.  Because I needed her too and no other reason.  She is the girl who does hair at 7:30 on Sunday morning without being asked.  Because I needed her too and no other reason.

She is the girl who is always happy.  Always cheerful.  Every single time she sees me she says, "Hi Mom!" with an exclamation point.  Always with an exclamation point.  She is the girl who always has a messy room, but a clean closet.  She is that girl.

She is the girl who has been a dream to raise.  She is the girl who I haven't had to worry about for one second.  She is the girl who has done everything she is supposed too.  She is the girl who can speak in proper English with correct grammar.  She is the girl who knows when to stop arguing.  And if that isn't the best gift a girl can give her mother I don't know what is.  She is that girl.

Dear 2:

You have been everything I could have ever hoped for in a daughter, and so much more.
Happy 18th Birthday.

Love Forever,
Mom