Birthday Wishes

Happy birthday, sis. You know too much. I love you. Don't ever leave.

Happy birthday, sweetheart. You know everything and tell me about half of it, which is exactly the right amount. Thank you for your restraint.

Happy birthday, my love. Of every brave thing I've done, marrying you remains the easiest and the best. Happy birthday to the man who is my home.

Happy birthday, nephew. You have somehow inherited all the charm and none of the consequences so far. Nobody tell him how long that lasts.

Happy birthday, my love. You make a thousand small moments holy just by being in them. Today I'm trying to make this one holy for you.

Fifty-five, Grandma, and the world is softer because you've been in it this long. Today we celebrate you , fully, finally, out loud. Happy 55th.

Twenty-one, nephew. Officially old enough to vote, drink, and be held accountable for most things simultaneously. Welcome to adulthood, where the instructions are unclear, the stakes keep going up, and the people who seem most confident are usually just the ones who've practiced longer. Go be great. Be specific about what great means to you. Happy 21st.

Happy 40th, my love. The forties are when you fully stop pretending. You know exactly who you are, exactly what you will and won't put up with, and exactly how you take your coffee. You are the most yourself you have ever been , and you have never, in my opinion, been better. Happy birthday.

Happy birthday, Auntie. You came to every family event, ate every bad meal, and stayed through every awkward conversation. You are the bravest one of us.