Happy Holidays! As the lights go up and the house gets cozy, I wanted to write down some things I don't say out loud often enough.
I am so proud of you. When you learned to ice skate backwards, I watched you wobble, laugh, try again, and then glide. You didn't give up, and you made it look like fun. That's one of my favorite things about you. You are curious about everything, and you aren't afraid to figure it out one try at a time.
I love your giggle. It fills up a room faster than any holiday song. I love how you help without being asked, and how you notice when someone needs a hand. You make our home feel warmer just by being in it.
I think about the things we love to do together. Racing down the hill on the sled with cold cheeks and big smiles. Building blanket forts with the best pillows and a secret entrance. Holding a mug of hot cocoa with both hands while the steam curls up. And of course, picking out our tree. I love walking up and down the rows with you, hearing what you think of each one, and knowing we'll both just feel when we find the right one. That is a tradition I treasure.
When the nights are long and cold, I hope you feel what I feel: that our home is like the coziest blanket fort of all. It's safe and snug, with room for every giggle and every question. You are always welcome inside it, and I'll always be there holding the flap open for you.
Nora, you don't have to do anything to earn my love. It is yours on the good days, the tricky days, and every day in between, today and forever.