Happy Birthday Hannah!
You are the most extraordinary 21 year old I know.
It is a pleasure being your mother.
21 Things To Do Before You Turn 22!
1. Do something so daring and ridiculous, that just thinking about it makes your heart race and your head spin. Make sure to take pictures for later. Your kids will want to know that you did indeed live life to the fullest.
2. Develop an educated palate as it applies to alcohol. You will have a life long relationship with the stuff, so get to know it. Ask the bartender for a recommendation. Don’t mix, you’ll be sorry if you do and send the drink back if it’s awful. Bartenders don’t mind. I know this because I was one for 10 years.
3. Remember that it’s the sugar in the drink and mixing of alcohol’s that makes one sick. So stick with one thing and limit the sugar. Eat a Hershey bar if you must. Drink lots of water and take 4 Advil before hitting the pillow.
4. Develop an educated palate when it comes to food. Try something new on the menu. Ask the wait staff for the specialty that no one knows about. Eat at local 
establishments and stay away from the fast food chains (including Apple…). You will ruin your tender, delicate taste buds on crap.
5. Create a Hannah Roadmap for yourself each year. Trust me, you won’t want the same thing in 2 years let alone 10. So enjoy the process of change. That’s what life can offer you. Change. Take a picture and send it to everyone that loves you – that’s gonna be a big list. The more people who share your vision, the more likely it is that you will live
it.
6. Buy one, really expensive piece of jewelry and then wear it. This will establish you as a woman who believes she is worth the best, because she is the best.
7. Make sure you tell people, if they ask, that you bought the piece for yourself. That’s how you roll. You don’t need anyone else giving you beautiful things. You are in charge of giving yourself a beautiful life.
8. Take a great picture of you and your girlfriends of the moment, sharing an exceptional moment. Frame it. Anchor this. You will revisit the memory often.
9. Give back. In a new and exciting way each year. Invest in your world. Invest in your community. Invest in an individual. When you do, you invest in yourself.
10.Wait 2 years before you even consider another “ink” mark. Celebrate the one you have before you make it take 
a back seat to another one.
11.Go someplace alone. Yes, I know this is scary. But I promise you this, you will learn more about yourself in this one experience then you will learn in the course of 6 months of average therapy. And what you learn will change the course of your life.
12.Attend some kind of Womens Gathering or Retreat or as an alternative, have a mystic of any kind give you a reading. 
You are part of a sisterhood.
13.Sisterhoods – as Kathy H would say, “Your tribe will be there for you when everyone else leaves for the fireworks.” Find your tribe. Some of my best tribe members came from some women’s gathering that I wasn’t all that excited to attend.
14.Learn to make one signature dish that will have your guests raving about it for weeks. Try at least 10 recipes 
before you settle on one.
15.Learn to create a perfect table for your guests. This goes a long way in creating a memorable dining experience.
16.Take a class on choosing wine. It will make every dining experience seem a bit more magical. You don’t’ even have to drink the wine, but you will have the confidence to recommend one.
17.Clean out your closets once a year. Remember, nothing new can come into your life, if it’s crowded with your past. Don’t be afraid to say goodbye to what you have outgrown. This goes for men, jobs and friends as well as clothes, home decorations and makeup
18.Read the “I love me” slogan each month as you enter the PMS stage. It will remind you of those that love you and may even help you get through the PMS, although I have no scientific data to support this.
- I promise to fall more and more in love with myself every day for the rest of my life.
- I promise to make my happiness a priority, always.
- I promise to take every action and make every decision with self-love and happiness as my guide posts.
- I vow to know my truest self, deeply.
- I vow to freely & fully express myself, never apologizing for or holding back from who I am.
- I vow to always be completely honest with myself.
- I vow to love myself for exactly who I am right now.
- I vow to celebrate myself.
- I vow to make my happiness a priority.
- I vow to forgive myself when I’m not perfect.
- I vow to see my beauty everyday.
- I vow to find kindness and compassion instead of judgment and comparison for myself.
- I vow to never settle for less than my heart and soul desire.
19.Plan to attend one event this year that is out of character for you. Surfing Competition, Red Carpet, Opening of a New Club or a Public
20.Surprise someone you love this year. Send them a love letter letting them know how important they are in your life and why. It will feed both of your souls and spirits.
21.Make plans to celebrate 22 with as much enthusiasm and excitement as you celebrated 21.
Remember, the only thing exception about 21 is that you are able to drink legally in the US. There must be just as good a reason to celebrate 22!
Happy Birthday my darling! I love you beyond words.
I love you Hannah Elyse!
How would your life be different if you kept these promises and vows to yourself?
