This guy. This one right here. He is incredible. Fearless. Kind. Wholehearted.

He is also thirty. Today.

We have been celebrating birthdays together for eighteen years. For those of you who don’t love math problems: we were twelve when we met.

Eighteen years of bleach blonde bowl-cuts, band practices in the basement, fights over prom, baseball games, parking lot hangouts, long-distance college romance, dirty dishes, wishing on stars and chasing dreams.

Eighteen years of growing and becoming.

Eighteen years of ups and downs.

Eighteen years on this journey.

And, for some reason, this birthday seems like a big one. Maybe it’s because we are two-kids-a-dog-a-house-and-a-minivan into this. Maybe it’s because every year I become more convinced that I couldn’t do this without you, more convicted of how very lucky I am to do life with you, and more head over heels in love with who you are.

And who you are is incredible. Fearless. Kind. Wholehearted.

Happy Birthday, Graham. Thank you for teaching me how to live in the present moment. Thank you for leading this family in love by your example.

Thank you for being selfless, soulful, and real.

You are our very favorite daredevil mountain man. We love you more than anything.