Rory, You Be You

When I was pregnant with Rory, I kept saying that I would be fine if I ended up having four boys.

I knew what to do with boys.

I already had three that were good friends.

Adding one more, that’d be great.

But secretly, I wanted a baby girl.

I grew up in a house with the majority of girls. And loved it.

My parents were very encouraging. I always felt like I could be whoever I wanted to be.

I was so excited to spread that message to my daughter.

As Rory grew, Lance and I strived to encourage her, support her, and make sure she knew the sky was the limit.

She wanted to be a doctor? Okay, let’s do it!

You want to get a purple belt? (It was her favorite color.) You got this, girl!

Rory was brave.

She defended her brothers to the Moon and back.

Rory was kind.

She included everyone. Always.

Rory was smart.

She constantly amazed us on what she was picking up on.

Rory was humble.

She was the first to say sorry.

Rory was strong.

She fought through anxiety and fear and came up on the other side.

Rory was so excited to be a mom.

She loved babies. Loved, loved, loved babies and littler than her kids.

Today, I want to celebrate women! I want to celebrate Rory. The amazing woman she was, who she was becoming.

I’m grateful for what she taught me. And what she continues to teach me.

Love you, baby girl.

You took the step ahead of me this time.