Today's Your Birthday!!

Dear B-
Let me start with Happy Birthday, the obvious part of the day.  May 21 be a ton of fun and a year of good in your world.
Now let me brag on you a little to the rest of the world, just because it's my blog and I can.  Let me share a little of how you delight me and what a simple treasure your unfailing friendship has been to me.  Let me paint a picture of a you that I know you don't see.

I love how startlingly green your eyes become the happier you are.  I know you hate it, but I look for your dimple in your smile because I know it's a give away to a true happy moment.

I know often your laughter makes you an easy target for being made fun of, but trust me, it's a delight.  That laughter is one of the best sounds around.

You have an amazing sense of humor.  Dry and sharp and just right for who you are.

I have been impressed with you in this short friendship as I've watched you slowly and steadily gain ground.  I've seen you tackle thing after thing in your life and find a way to overcome it or handle it.  I've seen you learn that just because someone else would say it's a small potatoes issue in life doesn't mean it is meaningless in your life.  I've seen you grow in the confidence to try being the person you believe you are created and designed to be.  I've seen you decide to do things that are right for you despite the railing of the world around you shouting to do or be something else.  I've watched you swallow fears and fight back tears and in the end win a certain part of yourself.

I've watched you work hard at things, achieve and accomplish much to your own surprise and then I've watched you begin to learn how to be proud of yourself.  I've been watching you slowly find happy and find the ways to stay happy.

I delight that we have inside jokes built on shared experience, both good and bad.  I love that you drag me along for the ride and refuse to let me be old.  I like us and I wouldn't trade it, drama or not, decades differences or not, miles of distance or not, I'm planning to keep us.

So on your very special day, thanks for being you, just a straight up version of awesome amazing.  I love every minute of it.  Thanks!

I love you
-j