Birthdays and Anniversarys

November is such an emotional month. On the 15th we celebrated Waverly's birthday. She would have been 14 years old. I cannot imagine her as a teenager. I spend very little time thinking about the what could have been and instead revel in what was. Wavey loved birthdays. In latter years we would always sing "happy birthday" twice, because it didn't click until we were almost through the first time. She then would burst into giggles for round two. This year felt different. I was able to reflect on birthdays past, not simply focusing on her final birthday in her hospice bed.

We opted to leave town this year to commemorate the anniversary of her passing. We went to Hilton Head to a resort we visited as a family in 2011. We invited some best friends to join us. It was the absolute best decision. We ate fresh seafood by the water, visited Savannah, walked the beach, had a dance party by the pool, played cards over wine and lit a candle in Wavey's memory. A blackbird flew overhead and monarch butterflies were abundant on the 18th, God's reminder that His promise is true.