My niece is 11!

My niece is 11... which means it has been almost 11 years since I graduated high school. It was Groundhog Day, 1998 when she was born. I was in my last days of dating my high school boyfriend Kurt. I think we broke up only days after she was born. I weighed about 60 lbs less than I do now. I was 20 times more insecure, more bitter, more fearful, more anxious. Justine was such an awesome gift to us all. She instantly made my world brighter, and she made the days seem so much more fun and worthwhile. She was 3 and a half when I met Dave. He thought he never wanted kids, and after about an hour with my charming and gorgeous little niece, he had a change of heart. Justine walked down the aisle at my wedding, sprinkling petals and doing a spectacular job, almost breaking my heart with her little lavender dress and her french-braided hair. I remember when she came to the hospital when Jonathan was born, in 2003. She had just started kindergarten. I remember her holding him so carefully and being so sweet and excited. When my great-great aunt Vernie was dying and staying with my Mom, Justine was only about 6... and she was so compassionate and unafraid of Vernie (and most people were at least a little scared of Vernie even at her best). Vernie would say, Here, girlie! Take my teeth! And she would plop her dentures into Justine's little hand. And Justine was totally cool with it.
Justine is just such a cool person. Even if I weren't her aunt, I would think so. She is funny, brave, and she is not afraid to be unique or to have opinions. She just has something special, some spunky quality. She has a great voice, and I am always puzzled when she has a hard time writing her essays for school, because she has such fantastic, intelligent ideas. Not to mention that she is really, really GORGEOUS! I can't believe how much Anna looks and acts like Justine. Both of my kids idolize her, they love her so much and they look up to her so much.
So much has happened in my life since she was born in 1998... I started and finished college, I've been married for over seven years, I have had two kids.... I think I will always measure my life by her birthdays since she was born the year I graduated high school. When she turns 20, I will be 37. That is something that is really hard for me to wrap my mind around... both her being 20, and me being 37! I have just loved being her aunt, and I am really, really glad that I was around, at home, able to spend time with her when she was a baby and toddler. She was so fun and she prepared me in so many ways to be a mother. I really hope that she can always turn to me as a friend as she goes through her teens, twenties and beyond.