Seventeen years ago, my sweet Julia hollered her way into this world in Edmonds, Washington. At a week old, she would fly with me to Palestine, Texas and begin her journey toward Texas-hood. (Yep, she likes spicy Tex-Mex). She’d survive 150 scorpions in our home without getting stung, chicken pox, and another move to Rowlett, Texas where she started her preschool and kindergarten careers. She broke her arms several times.

Then, brave as brave, she flew again, this time to France to start grade school with angry, abusing teachers (oh I’m just so sorry!). She would speak French with a perfect southern French accent, meet Jesus, and get baptized in the Mediterranean Sea.

She flew to Rockwall and made her way through elementary school, junior high (where she did a stint of gymnastics) and then high school. She battled through headaches her freshman year, took a year of online school her sophomore year, then returned to Rockwall High School as a junior where she joined the Prostart team and competed at state, garnering third place in restaurant management. She is now officially a senior, and a delight of a girl who I love with all my heart. Here are seventeen reasons why she rocks.

1. She is the most empathetic person I know. She feels your pain, shoulders it, then loves you through it.
2. Which makes her an amazing friend. She is extremely loyal to her friends, buying gifts, listening, hanging out. She’s a go-to girl when a friend is down.
3. She loves her brother and sister.
4. She made the sole decision to return to school, showing her bravery and initiative after a year of online school.
5. She is a terrific mommy to her cat Scout. Scout loves her more than any of us (she tolerates the rest of the family), and she sleeps on her head like a halo rainbow every night.
6. She is clever.
7. She is hilarious. But not in a flashy way. Her humor is subtle, often said under her breath, but it’s entirely funny.
8. She loves to give gifts. She is very generous.
9. She knows when I’m sad and does everything she can to cheer me up. (Which she also does with the entire family and all her friends and even folks she barely knows).
10. She’s a careful driver.
11. She has a healthy self esteem. She doesn’t down-talk herself and holds her head up high.
12. She’s really good at applying make up. This is amazing to me as I’m a clod at it. I go to her for beauty advice.
13. She takes initiative.
14. She has a passion to be fully alive, well, and happy.
15. She’s not afraid to ask for help.
16. She’s a truth teller.
17. She’s a genuinely encouraging person, and she seems to delight in carrying other people’s burdens.

Happy birthday dear Julia. You’re one of my heroes.