Tribute to Emily

Dear “Emmy-Lynne,”

We are so proud of you! You have worked very hard and we are thrilled to be able to honor you today. I’d like to share a portion of a letter that was written to you by your Mom on your third birthday, because it beautifully captures the precious little girl you were, as well as foreshadowing the beautiful young lady you would become. Your Mom wrote,

“Dear Emily, three years have passed and now I am greeted every morning by your wide grin and eager spirit to do everything your sister is doing and more. ‘Watch what I can do,’ seems to be the phrase of the day.

“I watch as you climb the dogwood tree, play in the sand, slide down the slide at the park, cry when you skin your knee. . . and I watch at the end of the day as your thumb goes toward your mouth and the familiar blanket comes out and you gently drift off to sleep.

“Then I pray. I pray that these things will be burned in my memory for when I am old. I pray that I will always remember your laughter, for you have been such a source of joy this year. Most of all I pray for your happiness and I thank God for sending you into this family.”

“More than anything you have accomplished, Emily, I am proud of you simply because of who you are! Your personality has really developed. You are headstrong and very opinionated for a little lady of three. Yet you laugh so easily and love life so fully. Emily, you have been this year to our family the icing on the cake. And you are loved so very much. Happy Birthday, Mommy.”

Emily, fourteen years may have come and gone since that third birthday tribute, but you continue to be the icing on the cake in our family. You will always be God’s very special gift to us, and while you are being honored today for your accomplishments, and they are many, do not ever forget that your Mom and Dad are proud of you simply because of the special person you are.

As you stand on the threshold of a new chapter in your life, we are asking God to help you clearly discern His leading. It is deeply rewarding to see your sincere desire to honor and serve Him with the gifts that He has given you. Among those gifts is the tender, compassionate heart you have for people. You have always had a soft spot for the elderly, the underdog, and practically anyone who is in need. That pleases your heavenly Father.

Emily, your Grandpa, early on, tagged you with the nickname of “wildfire” because of your great zest for life and your very strong will. Your Mom’s early assessments were right. You definitely were and still can be pretty headstrong and opinionated at times.

But those two personality traits have been tempered by time and maturity and have enabled you to have a clearly developed sense of what is right and wrong, and the accompanying courage to stand up for your convictions, even if it means having to stand alone. You have always been a leader in that regard, and we admire and applaud your integrity and strength of character.

We love the fact that you have always been our social butterfly. You love being around people and have never met a stranger. You brighten whatever room you are in with your contagious smile. You have a great sense of humor that has brought us a lot of laughter. You treasure your friendships and value your family. In fact, if a person’s wealth could be determined by the quality of their relationships, then you are rich young lady indeed.

We hope this day is very special for you. In fact, the only thing that would make this day more memorable, is if your Grandma could be with us. Next to your Mom and Dad, she was your biggest fan! If she is looking on today, I’m sure that heaven is beaming with her proud smile.

Emily, the most important thing that we could say is that we esteem you and love you very much. Thank you for being you, because there will only ever be one “Emmy Lynne.”

May the LORD bless you and keep you; may He make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; may He turn his face toward you and give you peace.

All our love,

Mom and Dad