Happy Birthday, Bethany!

Nineteen years ago today our youngest child was born. We had 2 names picked out: a boy would be named Seth Lyman; a girl would be named Bethany Jeanne. How I love our gift of Bethany Jeanne!

We knew this birth was the last planned addition to our family, so the word "cherish" has whispered in my heart all throughout Bethany's life.

-Cherish having a baby to hold. I distinctly remember telling a friend, "I will hold her as long as she wants to be held. The time will come quickly enough when she will want to go."

-Cherish bedtime stories.

-Cherish making cupcakes for school parties.

-Cherish questions asked about ants and pioneers and Jesus.

-Cherish calling out words for spelling tests.

-Cherish cheering from the sidelines at ballgames.

-Cherish hours and hours of dance recitals. And hours.  And hours.

-Cherish those times she crawls into your lap because her knee is scraped or her back needs to be scratched or her heart is broken.

-Cherish who she is and who she makes you want to be.

On this day of celebrating her 19th year of life, I'm thinking about Bethany and the things I cherish about who she is:

1. I cherish her kindness and tender heart.

2. I cherish the way she is willing to ask questions.

3. I cherish the desire she has to UNDERSTAND, not just memorize.

4. I cherish her interest in family and history and the story of things.

5. I cherish the notes she gives to me.

6. I cherish her bravery and determination.

7. I cherish her honesty and integrity.

8. I cherish her use of words in the way she writes.

9. I cherish her ability to walk with the crowd, alongside the crowd, or out-of-step with the crowd and never lose sight of who she chooses to be.

10.  I cherish her belief in the good of people and the way she is caught off-guard when unkindness occurs. 

Happy Birthday, Bethany.  I cherish knowing you.