MEASURE

Today, my "little" cousin Courtney is fifteen.

WTF. I'm old.

I started thinking about who she has become,

and naturally I would compare her to other kids her age or even to who I was at fifteen.

Most girls at fifteen can't see past Friday night. 

They obsess over friends, makeup, texting, Facebook, and cute boys.

Wait, maybe I'm still fifteen.

Anyway, some of those things might be true about Courtney, but there is so much more to her.

I realized that you can't measure a person's life by years, or GPA's, or even the things they say and do.

Because to me, she's more than that, whether she likes it or not. 

She doesn't even have to try to impact my life....because she already has.

I measure Courtney like this:

She starts at the first moment I held her.  I was almost thirteen.  Love at first sight.

Then I think of moments.  Courtney laughing at a kitten as a toddler.

Courtney helping me feed her baby brother when I would babysit them.

Courtney hugging our other cousin (who is my age) at the hospital

when our Grandmother passed away and telling her, "It will be okay."

Courtney wearing one of my prom dresses.

Courtney bossing her little brother around.

Courtney letting me paint her nails and do her hair,

but she's nervous when I'm close to her ears with the curling iron.

Courtney, suddenly being taller than me.

Courtney, suddenly being in high school.

Courtney, having a bad day but still one of the greatest kids I've ever known.

She doesn't end here.  As a matter of fact, she'll go on long past me if the world is lucky.

And, she's not going to be a kid for much longer.

In addition to being taller than me, she's already prettier, funnier, and maybe even smarter than me. 

There are a million other things that she is too.  And that's why fifteen is just a number. 

(Although to her I'm sure it's a very important one)

Because no matter what unit of measure you use, she is so much to so many people.

You can count seconds and minutes and hours and days and weeks and months and years.

All that is, is basic addition.

A person is not made up of a measurement of time. 

A person is made up of the choices they make and their relationships with the people they love.

Courtney, you are beautiful beyond measure, and I love you.

Please always be as cool as you are now,

and keep making the right choices and remember where you come from.

Above all, please know you are awesome just for being you.