50 Years Ago,

...a woman named Susan Omega Smith was born.

Now she's Susan Omega Erdelatz, and she's also my mom.

Thank goodness that worked out.

Now, at the lovely half-century point, I'd just like to take a moment to reminisce on what an amazing, godly, beautiful, loving woman she has become.

When I was in grade school, every day for as long as I can remember she would be waiting for me when I got home from school...with a snack and a hug.

In fifth grade, she visited my class to share her nutritious snack tips. As we all made our own trail mix and smoothies, a kid leaned over and said, "Abby, your mom is like, so cool." And ten-year-old me beamed with pride and said, "I know."

To this day, she impresses everyone who meets her, including any of my friends who come over to be greeted with her southern hospitality.

She's told me to sit up, shut up, listen up, straighten up, eat up, and woman up...because she's my mom.

And she's wiped my nose, dried my tears, bought me training bras, held my hair back when I'm vomiting, kept my secrets, laughed with me, cried with me, and prayed with me...because she's my mom.

I wouldn't have it any other way.

So Happy Birthday, Mommy. May all your decorating dreams for our house come true.

Love you.

16 Candles

Once upon a time 16 years ago, a miracle occurred as the hands of the Almighty Himself touched earth and I, a mere mortal, stepped into it. 

Ha. Kidding. But I think I gave it some flair. 

It's weird to think that I'm actually sixteen. I mean, as corny as that sounds. Nowadays, 16-agers don't really care or take notice of the fact. But looking back, I remember all the points in my life I revered sixteen as the age of womanhood, of officially being a teenager, of almost-adulthood. It was the pinnacle, the golden age of female humanity, in my childhood opinion. I also remember stopping at brief moments to muse:

I wonder what I'll be like when I'm sixteen. 

I wish I'd been thoughtful enough as a seven-and-nine-year-old to write my future self a letter with expectations as to what I wanted to be by the time I was sixteen. It was as far off and wonderously mysterious as imagining my own married life is to me now. 

*Mental note* Write letter to married self.

Now, thinking about it, I hope I lived up to my own expectations. 

I've always been a fan of purposeful birthday wishes. In that brief moment before I blow out the candles, I make certain to concoct the most perfect and all-encompassing wish, one that I believe can be accomplished within the next year. So tomorrow, when I blow out the candles(in one perfect puff, no less), I want to make sure my wish is as fitting as possible for such an occasion. 

So to narrow down the options, here are 16 of the best things I could wish for, one for every candle.

#1: To grow closer to God every day.

#2: To love my family more deeply than last year.

#3: To find true friends and invest as deeply in them as I did in Okinawa.

#4: To work hard for the things I want.

#5: To not just capture photos, but moments. 

#6: To keep concocting brilliant screenplays that fit in the span of an iPod song.

#7: To cross off some bucket list items.

#8: To do something bold.

#9: To never lower my standards.

#10: To take pride in myself, inwardly and outwardly.

#11: To engage in witty banter whenever possible.

#12: To not lose faith in the human race.

#13: To not give up on being the best actor possible.

#14: To love people like Jesus does.

#15: To explore unknown music.

#16: To not need guys for my security, but not be afraid of them either. 

Oh, and let's get a driver's license while we're at it, shall we?