Well, I feel like a failure.

I am not the best at remembering things. It's not my gift in life.

Today, I realized that I had totally forgotten Eleanor's birthday. I knew it was coming up, but I thought it was the 21st instead of the 7th, so not a word, not a card, not a gift, not a hug did she get from me on her EIGHTEENTH birthday!

I feel pretty bad.

Eleanor? I'm sorry.

You mean a lot to me, whether we're scaring the people at Wal-Mart with our craziness, practicing our fingers off for a recital, staying up late, late, late talking about everything under the sun, drinking Dr. Pepper, bravely taking the Gileskirk tests together, or rolling Julia's room with toliet paper. (That was SO much fun. We should do it again.)

Eighteen.

It's an impressive age. You can vote! You could be drafted, (if you were a guy. Which you're not.) Graduation is right around the corner! Responsibility as an adult looms ever closer.

And I know that's a little scary for you. It is for me, too.

But I want to remind you that you do have a wonderful Friend, a Helper, a Counselor, a Mediator in Christ Jesus, and I am praying that in the year to come, more than ever before, you seek Him with your whole heart... seek to become more like Him, seek to rest on Him, seek to love Him more.

I love you.

Happy Birthday from a forgetful friend.