✨ For Elizabeth ✨

You were my second miracle, the steady heartbeat between beginnings, the child who arrived with calm eyes and a soul already wise enough to understand love in all its shapes.

You’ve always seemed to be the most adjusted, the one who stayed connected, who reached for me even when I wasn’t easy to reach. Your loyalty was never loud, but it was constant,and it carried me through more than you know.

You followed in your sister’s footsteps, but you made the path your own, a teacher with a gift for patience, a guide with a gentle hand, one half of the two best teachers in the entire state of Maryland.

And at home, your greatest story grows: Hayden, Brody, and Owen, three talented, loving sons who reflect your strength, your humor, your fierce devotion to family.

Beside you stands Erin—supportive, steady, proud—a partner who sees the many hats you wear and the grace with which you carry those: teacher, photographer, daycare leader. You’ve lived a dozen lives and excelled in every one.

And oh, those memories. When the mosquitoes loved you more than anyone else, and I had to name you my little Skeeter Bite, a nickname born of laughter and a love that never faded.

Elizabeth, you are my middle light, my bridge, my quiet anchor. You’ve given me pride, you’ve given me joy, you’ve given me a daughter who loves without conditions.