A hand-made milestone marker

Life is full of milestones. They are the opportunities to push pause on the daily grind, and to reflect on the journey. Recently, our oldest daughter turned 16 (on Mother's Day at that!). It's an important checkpoint in the parenting stage. Our child is quickly becoming an adult, and her wings are forming right in front of our eyes. It's a time for a soon-to-come driver's license, for freedom and for becoming a … gulp … high school upperclassmen. To help mark time, Betsy came up with a tremendous idea for Isabelle's birthday. She solicited letters from Isabelle's friends and family members, asking each to write whatever they wanted to as a happy birthday note to our daughter. She then gave each friend or family members a couple of dedicated pages in a scrapbook, which included photos of our daughter with each person. The letters were sealed in special envelopes, giving Isabelle many kind and thoughtful notes to read on her big day. In the back, were a good handful of photos in envelopes from each year of her life — from 2010 to 2026. These photos provided a highlight reel of the different stages of her, and our, life. It was a tremendous presentation, as Betsy's creative and artistic side came out into a beautiful and meaningful gift. It was fun for me to be part of it, writing a letter myself. It was a good task for Betsy, an English teacher, and me, a writer of another sort. You could see our differing styles come out on the page. Younger sister Juliet wrote a heart-felt letter, as did Isabelle's two sets of grandparents, whom we are blessed to have live nearby. The gift, shared during a family moment following a birthday lunch, was met with laughter, tears and memories. The book, and these emotions, were shared many times throughout the weekend. Betsy said something profound about the process of putting it together. Like many moms, she has been coming to grip with her oldest child growing up, affected by the unwavering thief that time can be. She and Isabelle have a special bond, and her birth was the fulfillment of Betsy's lifelong inclination to be a mother. We made the very fast decision to go all in for our kids. But by going through photos, gathering letters and considering all of the magic moments we've had along the way, Betsy was able to take a trip from the past, to the present to the future, with the gear shift coming in the form of a mindset shift. We've made the most of it. We have a wonderful family that illuminates the present. We can't wait to see what the future holds for Isabelle. Gifts come in all shapes and sizes. Our daughter got her fair share of material items that those who love her know she'll love. She received a few gift cards that will allow her to buy something she will undoubtedly use. But never underestimate the power of the heartfelt — the project that results in a wonderful core memory both for the receiver, and for the giver. Jeremy Speer is the publisher of The Courier, Findlay, the Sandusky Register, The Advertiser-Tribune, Tiffin, the Norwalk Reflector and Review Times, Fostoria. He can be reached at jeremyspeer@thecourier.com.