She turned 18 today. 🎂✨
And I’m watching my granddaughter step quietly into adulthood — not with noise or celebration, but with a gentle strength that feels far older than her years.

Her parents passed away last year, and this Christmas feels different. 🎄🤍
Softer.
Heavier.
Joy is still here, but it walks hand in hand with grief now.

There is a cake on the table. 🎂
A single candle waiting to be lit. 🕯️
And a room filled with memories that speak even when no one does. 💭

We are learning how to hold two things at once — sadness and gratitude, loss and love.
We are choosing to be thankful for another year, another birthday, another moment together.

And we are trusting that love still shows up, even quietly, even gently, in the spaces where words fall short. 🙏🤍

Today, we honor her life, her courage, and the future unfolding in front of her.
Happy 18th Birthday. 🎈✨