Why Our Adult Kids Still Need To Hear These Words From Us

TODAY IS MY daughter’s birthday, and I am not shy about telling everyone how proud I am of her.

I REMEMBER, although I was a little embarrassed, as an adult, when my mom would share with her friends how proud she was of me, it confirmed how much she loved me. To the best of my knowledge, I never recall Dad saying how proud or how much he loved me. And although I felt that he loved me in his way, I never knew for sure.

THAT IS ONE of the reasons, not just today, but regularly, the last words I say to Jess are, “I love you and I am so proud of you.”

FOR ME, one of the best things about this season of my life is the memories I have of my daughter at different stages of her life. I want to share those with you...

• SHE WAS BAPTIZED at 7 and asked if she could be a preacher. I told her she can be anything God wants her to be.

• AT 14, the day after I told her that I had cancer with months to live, she ran into the room saying, “Jesus told me you are going to walk me down the aisle at my wedding."

• I HAD MY doubts when she said she was going to hand out 1000 Bibles in her school. She did it.

• THEY ASKED HER to refrain from discussing religion in her senior high school valedictorian speech. She begins with, “I want to thank God...”

• SHE WENT TO college at 19 and stood toe to toe with professors who would challenge her for writing papers on Jesus. She graduated from college in 3 years with a 4.0

• SHE GOT married at 20, AND I WALKED HER DOWN THE AISLE.

• SHE TOLD me that, while in her teens, because it was hard growing up as an only child, she was going to have five kids. She now has a 22-year-old, an 18-year-old, a 17-year-old, a 3-year-old, and a 1-year-old.

• AND YET, with all the kids, she and her mom fly all over the US speaking in front of thousands and mentoring church leaders for Jesus.

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Happy birthday, Jess, I love you and I am so proud of you!