87 Comments
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Barbara Sparrow's avatar

What a beautiful birthday letter. Thank you for sharing the picture of your beautiful Em. You are right about her smile, it tells you so much about how she is feeling and saying in her own special way. I’m sure Em loved her day at Uncle Marks. Give my love to Em, Allison and the rest of the family.

♥️♥️♥️Auntie Barb

Lyle McKeany's avatar

Thank you, Barb! I just read your comment aloud to the family ❤️

Hamish McKenzie's avatar

Just beautiful.

Lyle McKeany's avatar

Thanks for reading, Hamish! And thanks for building this platform that has changed my life and makes it so easy to share my stories ❤️

Lauren Salles's avatar

Thank you for sharing your beautiful words and radiant daughter with the world! We are all better for it. Your love and admiration for her just cracks my heart wide open.

Lyle McKeany's avatar

Thank you, Lauren! I appreciate the beautiful comment❤️

Mihaela's avatar

Happy birthday!!!

Beautiful letter!!! Love is reaching to me through this screen. I am beyond touched and grateful to know of such love.

With your permission, I’ll share this post with my readers.

Lyle McKeany's avatar

Absolutely! Go for it! Thank you ❤️

Sharron Bassano's avatar

Such a beautiful little child. Thank you for the photo. And such a lovely expression of your love for Em. Thank you, Lyle, for the inspiration. Your days can be so difficult, yet, when you love some one, it can all be done. The strength comes. The gratitude is ever present.

Lyle McKeany's avatar

You’re so right about how the love helps makes doing all the things worth it

Jordan | The Wealth Letters's avatar

Love this tradition! There is just something about writing a letter that is "different" and gets words out that I wouldn't otherwise.

I wrote my two daughters a letter that I also plan on updating as they age so that by the time they are old enough to read it, and act upon the "wisdom" (wisdom in quotes because I hope I am imparting that on them), that they can be able to side-step some things that I went through that perhaps they won't have to.

Thanks for sharing!

Lyle McKeany's avatar

Thanks for reading, Jordan! I have no doubt that there’s wisdom (without quotes) in your letters

Atx Dancer's avatar

Em is communicating so much with her beautiful smile. What a gift and thank you for sharing this. How incredibly inspiring you and your family are ♥️

neena maiya's avatar

Happy birthday, Em. Wishing you oodles of fun as you discover new, wonderful things this year and all the years to come.

Your papa is right. Your smile is pure sunshine. 💚☀️

Kechi Ladapo's avatar

Aww! This made me tear up. And she's so beautiful!

Lyle McKeany's avatar

Thank you, Kechi! ❤️

Caryn's avatar

"how to communicate with the people in your life, without the ability to form words." -- powerful stuff

Lyle McKeany's avatar

Thanks, Caryn! ❤️

Leslie Petersen's avatar

Happy Birthday Em!

Judith Klinger's avatar

Absolutely beautiful...and by that I mean Em's smile. What a warm, loving piece. Thank you for sharing it.

Lyle McKeany's avatar

Thank you, Judith! ❤️

Kartik Varma's avatar

What a lovely photo and letter! God bless all of you! You may have inspired me to write my own letter to my daughters.

Lyle McKeany's avatar

I highly recommend it. It’s one of my favorite things I write each year

David Wolosik's avatar

Thank you for the picture. She is lovely. Some of us are sent here to follow a more challenging path. It is apparent that Em, yourself and rest of your family are up to it. God bless you all!🙏

Lyle McKeany's avatar

Thank you, David! ❤️

Theresa "Sam" Houghton's avatar

That smile!!

Thanks for sharing this sweet little letter. Em is blessed to have you there for her--and I can tell from the way you talk about her in your posts that she blesses you, as well. 🙂

Lyle McKeany's avatar

As challenging as it can be at times, we are lucky to have her in our lives. She has no doubt made me a better person

Theresa "Sam" Houghton's avatar

These are the (necessary and beautiful) challenges that grow us as humans, for sure.

Walther Cantu's avatar

Happy birthday, Em! Lyle, thank you for sharing this with us. This motivates me to strive to become a better father.

Lyle McKeany's avatar

I love that, Walther ❤️