A new chapter.

You see her gliding across the floor, hand in hand with him. She stares into his eyes and breaks into that infectious smile. You find yourself smiling as well and are surprised by the tears that drop into your glass of wine. You had promised yourself...and her that you wouldn’t do this. Not today!

You’ve heard the whispers. That she looks more beautiful today than ever before. Jaw-dropping beautiful. You know that it's not completely true. She has always been taking your breath away and for you it's hard to pick when she was most beautiful. Today, though, can make it in to the top five.

And you go through those momentous five as you watch her laugh at something he says and kiss him like he's her favourite drink and she has been dehydrated. The Big Five, you call them in your head.

She was her most beautiful self the day, twenty seven years ago, when they placed her in your hands and declared you had a girl. So small, so dependent. The wave of love that hit you as you gazed into her small perfect face added new dimensions to your definition of love. Her name was like honey on your lips, begging you to taste more and more of it. And you did! All night as you cradled her against your bossom, you breathed her name, sang it, shouted it, spoke it. It didn't matter. Here was someone who was completely yours without question.

She was her most charming self at the age of five. You caught a glimpse of the woman she could be as her personality raced to settle itself. So fierce, so stubborn. The fear of a thousand unnamed dangers in a world that wasn't ready for her, least of all deserved her, kept you awake at night. She taught you to fight those fears on your knees, to trust God. And you did! You prayed when you woke, when she woke, before she slept, before you slept. It didn't matter. Here was someone you would fight heaven and earth for.

She was her most attractive self at sixteen, somewhere square in that teen-age. She was learning to own the changes in her growing body. So clumsy, so graceful. The hope of a bright future for her kept you hooked to all the things that made an impact on her. You wanted to guide her and keep her from wrong decisions. And you did! You talked openly, to the dismay of your friends, and she trusted you as her compass that steered her from bad friends and addictions. It didn't matter. Here was someone who was your every dream come true.

She was her most sophisticated self when she announced her changes; her new job, her boyfriend and how she was thinking of her own apartment. So independent, so young. The reality of womanhood resting on her shoulders showed you your time together was almost up. She was walking into her future like you always dreamed, loved. And she did! She's made decisions that reflect her values and her heart. You can trust her with her life now. Here is someone that you'll never have too much of. With all the time in the world, you will still always want a little more.

She is stunning today! And it's a goodbye of sorts, making room for change. She'll never call out to you again to kiss away her nightmares in the middle of the night. She'll never tumble into your room in awkward moments to cry her heart out. She'll never be waiting in her room on her birthday for your breakfast-in-bed routine. You can't expect her to break out into spontaneous performances just to get you to laugh. Instead, she's the one who will be looking forward to those things.

And you are glad that she gets that. If you must say so, she picked a good guy and you are expectant about what the future will bring her way.