32

31 - It held more life lessons in it's short twelve months than I ever could have imagined. It's funny, you hear common sayings throughout your life, that you assume to be true, but you never fully comprehend. 'What doesn't kill you makes you stronger', 'We learn more from failure than we do from success'. Yes, that sounds good, that all sounds right. And then you go through something, a lot of things in fact, that knock you to the ground, and you fight your way through it all. And when you finally come out on the other side, beaten down and exhausted, you realize why those saying exist, why they are universally known. Everyone goes through difficult times in their life. It's the hard, ugly parts of life that give us perspective, that realign our priorities, that force us to face ourselves and decide if we like what we see. Just as a muscle has to be torn down in order to rebuilt bigger and stronger, such is true in life. My new favorite sayings is by Charles Bukowski, 'What matters most is how well you walk through the fire.' We will all face the fire. Unfortunately it will happen more than once, and to varying degrees. My hope for you, my sweet babies, is that your Father and I are able to give you the strength to face it head on, fight like hell, and know that even though you will be broken down and burned when you make it out, you will be stronger, more beautiful and more grateful than you were before. If you are able to walk through the fire with grace, dignity and love in your heart, there won't be anything that can knock you down so badly that you won't get back up. My hope for all of you is that you have beautiful lives. I don't dream of perfection, or a life of ease, but rather hearts that love others, minds that are engaged, and intentions to make the world a better place. If we can give you that, your lives will be beautiful, no matter what you face.

32 - I can't wait to see what you have in store. I have a feeling it's going to be so good.