January 12, 2026: The Dancing Heart

January 12th means… Kate’s birthday!

On Sunday, we celebrated with her in Richmond. After church and gifts, Kate, Jess, and I enjoyed brunch at First Watch, followed by window shopping in Carytown. We capped off the afternoon with a dessert stop at Sweet Frog.

During our meal, we continued a tradition started years ago, asking the same set of birthday questions.

The list runs about twenty deep, covering everything from favorite colors and sports teams to future dreams. And the big ones are always fun: career plans, marriage, kids.

It’s interesting to see how the answers change over time.

One of the questions is, “What do you love?” And Kate responded in the most Kate way possible:

“Life.”

That single word captures her completely. She dances through her days, quick to laugh at herself. Sunshine seems to follow her around. Want to groove to music? She’s your girl. Feel like going out for a meal or settling in for a movie? Sign her up.

She moves through the world with a natural, wonderful mantra: “Why not?”

This fearless spirit has guided her through high school choir and track, two summers at a child development center, a college role as a Resident Advisor, and a campus marketing position.

At one point on Sunday I asked, “What job do you want to have in ten years?” She thought for a minute and then answered confidently.

“I’d like to teach hip-hop dance.”

Wow… I didn’t see that one coming. But it’s perfectly Kate.

And with her passion for life, I’ll be the first to enroll.

Happy Birthday, Kate!