My eldest is 23!

Somehow, in the blink of an eye my eldest daughter Becky has turned 23! Twenty three!! I honestly can’t quite wrap my head around it, she was the one who made me a mam and it seems such a long, long time ago! Part of me still sees her as that little girl who would run rings around me and resist bedtime. Back then trying to get her to sleep was a full time job, she’d fight it and what is funny now is that she absolutely loves her sleep. If she could she’d happily nap her way through a weekend. I often joke that if younger her could see grown up her she’d be horrified at how much she appreciates a good lie in these days.

I don’t tend to write much about Becky on my blog now. She’s private, living her own life and I like to respect that but sometimes I just have to break my own rule and a birthday feels like the perfect excuse, my girl deserves to be celebrated.

Becky works hard in care and has been working night shift for the last few years. It is something I couldn't do but she prefers the nights over the days. She is so patient and caring, she knows what she wants and she just gets on with things. It’s not all work, she likes to play hard too. When she’s not working she’s usually heading out to some event or another. She loves a good concert, a day out or pretty much anything that feels like an occasion.

Then there’s wrestling. WWE wrestling to be exact. This is where we bond in the funniest way. We’ll both sit there on the sofa, glued to the screen, shouting at the TV like the wrestlers can actually hear us. We have wild theories about what is going to happen on the next episode or live event and our predictions are never right. It's brilliant sharing this silly passion with her. Some mams and daughters shop together, some bake together but we shout at wrestling together.

Everyone has their thing that they seem to collect and Becky's thing is ducks!! Yes, ducks. She has this soft spot for them and I love it. It always makes me smile when something duck related pops up and reminds me of her. She has clothes with them on, duck drawers in her bedroom, bedding, a rug, ornaments and even her phone case has ducks on it!

At home Becky is all about the comfortable life. If she could live in pyjamas she would but don’t be fooled when it’s time to go out the PJs get swapped for her fancy pants. She bought some plain black trousers which are smart but comfortable for nights out and we call them her fancy pants. She loved them so much she bought a extra couple of pairs. Another comfort to Becky is pasta! I’m not exaggerating when I say she loves it and eats it at least five times a week, she comes in on a morning from work which is like her evening and cooks herself a bowl full and usually covers it in cheese. Even after years of her doing this I still haven't got used to the smell of pasta being cooked on a morning!

Becky has been with her girlfriend for about three years now. They make a lovely couple and most importantly, she’s happy. I know not everyone will agree with that relationship and that’s fine but here’s the thing, her happiness matters more than anyone else’s opinion. When I see her smiling, laughing and just being herself I know she’s exactly where she needs to be and since we’re on the subject of opinions let’s address the one that pops up now and then. The anonymous commenter who keeps saying that she is a boy because she has short hair on the odd time that I do share a photo. Honestly, it’s 2025 and we’re still judging people by the length of their hair? She has short hair because she likes it short and it is easier to manage. Hair doesn’t decide someone’s gender, it just decides how long it takes to wash and dry. lol She’s happy, she’s confident, she’s herself and I couldn’t be prouder.

When I look at Becky now at 23 I just feel proud. Proud of the woman she’s become, proud of the way she works hard, chases the things she loves, her humour and the fact she’s just herself. Happy birthday to my eldest. My pasta loving, PJ wearing, duck appreciating, wrestling fan daughter!!