Dearest Shelly Friend,

I didn't think you were ever going to be 50! You age just like you eat yummy desserts, VERY SLOWLY!

What a darling, funny, thoughtful, wonderful friend you have been. And the best part is that we'll always be friends. It has been said that if a person makes it through this life with one true friend, he should consider himself lucky....How blessed we are, huh.

I don't think you've changed a bit since I first met you 30 years ago, whoa, that sounds weird! But 30 years have gone by and it seems like maybe 10. And that's just how you look and act, maybe 10 years older and improved with age.

I can always count on a sparkly eyed smile and an enthusiastic greeting from my friend, Shelly. What a nice quality that makes the rest of us feel so good, almost like you've been hugged. But that's just because its genuine, the same way you always listen when someone is telling you something, good or not so good. Your response is always honest and real and thoughtful, or best of all a really great laugh.

What a great wife, mom, daughter, sister, and friend you are. I think there are a lot of things you do that I don't even know about because you don't usually talk about all of "your things" because you're telling everyone else how great "their things" are. You make me feel like I'm a good friend and a good person, and that you like me. Thank you for all of that!

You know Kiwi won't do this little message thing, so I asked him to tell me something to write to you. He said..."Shelly is always happy, and she's cute and game." Wow, what a wordy guy he is! But he had a little cute look on his face when he told me, so I know he really meant it.

I hope you have the best 50th birthday ever and that you feel 50 years young, because I will always think of you as forever young and beautiful and smiling and fun and my true friend, Shelly.

Love,

Mary