She's engaged

On Sunday, my niece's boyfriend took her to their favorite park, dropped down to one knee, and became her fiance. Their wedding date is 10/10/20.

Now that gives me a lot of time to be sick about family dysfunction and how uncomfortable this event may be.

But instead, I'm going to think about what a gift her life has been. I remember her mother pregnant. I recall dancing on the night she was born -- I was a Clinton campaign worker and she was arrived on Election Day 1992. I remember her Lion King phase ("You be Simba and I'll be Nala"). Her Anastasia phase.

I remember her controversial Thanksgiving essay about why the holiday should be abolished. Even in grade school, she was a free thinker and a good little researcher. I was excited by how seriously she took American Girl dolls and stories, and then Harry Potter.

She's smart. She's tough. She's independent. Those qualities have not always made her life easy, but it's made her fascinating. 

Now she's getting married. I've seen her through her entire life to this point. I can't wait for the next chapter.