Dear
Shelley,
You
are the first grandchild of my nuclear family. You are also my first niece and
my sister's first child. You were the first child to steal my heart.
And
you will always be first with me, but not because of your birth order.
You are first with me because of who you are.
You
are kind and forgiving, passionate and intelligent. You are the sweetest person
I have ever met.
After
every conversation with you, I feel better than I did before, which could only
mean that your warmth and happiness are contagious.
Above
it all is your solid gold heart--proving to all the world that you are your mother's
child.
I
am a better person for knowing you.
I
love you, Shelley, and I am so proud of the person you have become, especially
in light of the obstacles you have faced in your lifetime.
I
know your mom is proud of you, too--smiling down on her little girl and thinking
to herself, "I done good."
You
are all grown up, Shelley-- happily married to a great guy and starting out on
your new life.
But
in my heart, you are my daughter now, and I will always be there for you.
You've
had a beautiful wedding. Now comes the fun part (and also the hard part, the crazy
part, and the glorious part)--the marriage.
I
am confident that you are ready for it all, Shelley. I wish you both the best
of luck, although as fortunate as you were in meeting each other, I don't think
you'll need any luck at all.
Love,
your uncle,
Bruce
Hurley
