You have such a caring, compassionate soul, always have.

Latest example?

Making a donation to support the three most visible and historically significant social justice events of 2020 – Breonna Taylor in March, George Floyd in May. and the Black Lives Matter movement.

Proud of you Emma. You are going to change the world.

Congrats on graduating from 8th grade Emma!

10 reasons Grammy and I are proud of you, in no particular order:

1.  2020 was (is) something, one of the most challenging and unique school years in history, thanks to COVID-19.  Not many students will be able to say “My eighth grade year was during the pandemic. We left school March 13 and never went back into the building.”  Proud of how you maneuvered through new ways of learning, kept your cool and did your best. And how you rolled with the punches, missing trips to Washington, D.C., dances, soccer and a normal graduation.
2. Elementary school is finis- you’re a young adult, no longer a kid!
3. High school awaits – an important four year era dawns. You will shine and prosper Emma!
4. Your smarts – think of all the knowledge you’ve gained across a wide breath of subjects and topics. Amazing!
5.  Congrats on receiving the Music Award for your entire class. How cool is that? All that guitar practice paid off – you’ve already come such a long way.  Remember: playing guitar is a gateway to making new friends!
6.  Your physical transformation was something to witness, especially the last three years when you shot up, passed the height of your Mom and Grammy (way past), and continued to grow.  You’re such a beautiful young lady!  Be proud of who you are and what you look like because you’re the full package.  Believe in yourself!
7. Emotional growth –  from shy and nervous to smiley and confident. Wow.
8. Growing compassion and passion – you’ve always been unusually kind and in-tune with the world around you; I’ve blogged about that many times. You care about others and take great joy in doing nice things. You have such a beautiful soul.
9.  Athletic abilities –  another epic transformation over time.  We’ve had such a blast watching you mature on turf and grass playing soccer.
10. Your eagerness to say yes. I have so many memories of you doing this over the years, from jumping off tall rocks in the middle of a lake, to zip-lining and so much more.  Keep pushing yourself to experience new (sometimes scary) things; it’s how we all grow in this life. Keep saying yes.