Twenty-One and a New Beginning

This month, we're celebrating one year of The Edwards Table! 🎉

As the celebration continues, Amy shares the story behind her favorite birthday of all time—not because of the cake or the gifts, but because it was the day that changed the direction of her life forever.

At 21 years old, Amy met John, and what seemed like an ordinary birthday became the beginning of a love story, a family, a business, and a life they never could have imagined.

Join Amy around the table as she reflects on the beauty of looking back, recognizing God's hand in the unexpected moments, and celebrating the memories that shape who we become.

There's always a seat for you here.

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Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Hi, I'm Amy Edwards, and welcome to the Edwards Table. This podcast is all about real conversations. The kind that come from life, love, family, friendship, and all the messy, beautiful parts in between. I started this show because I believe in redemption stories and in sitting down together to talk about the things that shape us, heal us, and sometimes just make us laugh. So grab a seat, take a breath, and join me. Because there's always room for you here at the Edwards Table. Well, hey y'all, and welcome back to the Edwards Table podcast. I am Amy Edwards, your host. So excited to be here. If you joined last week, you definitely heard all about the month of July and why it's such a big deal. It's a whole month of us celebrating here at the Edwards Table because this marks the one-year anniversary of us launching this podcast. And so we're just taking the whole month to celebrate. So last week kind of talked about some bits and pieces that uh were things to celebrate. One being definitely the fact that we got here, uh, 52 episodes by the time uh next week launches, and um the fact of my daughter Maddie joining me for season one, definitely some bits and pieces that I shared last week. So if you didn't join, definitely okay, I've said definitely a lot, but absolutely go over and take a lesson from last week. I think we we marked that right under 40 minutes, maybe 30 minutes, just a lot of gushing, lots of gushing and exciting things that we're celebrating this week, totally on the same track of celebratory pieces. And uh really and truly what I wanted to come and talk about was uh because also I'm not sure if you're familiar, but my birthday is this month as well. So I will be celebrating my 52nd trip around the sun. Um, kind of mid to late month is when my birth date hits. Um, and that is the why behind when I launched the podcast last year. It actually went out on my birthday. So I have lots to celebrate, lots and lots to celebrate. And this week I really wanted to talk about um because I love all my favorite things, right? So even last week wore one of my favorite t-shirts, and it was a nod to my daughter, and all the things. Well, this week wanted to talk about my one of my all-time favorite birth dates. And that would be my 21st. 21st birthday, definitely one of my all-time favorites, if not my absolute favorite birthday that I've celebrated so far. And I'm gonna set it up, tell you a little bit about it, and then I'm gonna give you my why, a why I chose my 21st as my favorite birthday to date. So the summer of my 21st birthday, I had come home from college, was staying at my parents, uh, my mom and then stepfather, and I had recently ended a long-term relationship. Thought I was marrying this fella. Um, a ring had been purchased but not given, like the whole nine yards. And um unfortunately, as I was helping to move him back into school for I think it was the previous semester, found a stack of letters that went to another Amy, and as luck would have it, was an Amy I actually knew. So um not that anything necessarily wild and crazy was going on, but all nonetheless cheating. Certainly was not above board about that and letting me know what was going on, this fella. I made the decision to end the relationship, wanted to get out of it. That's what I did. He did not necessarily agree with that approach. Um, and this had been long-lasting. Like I had dated this boy in high school, had dated him all of college up to that point, and obviously was very close to his family. Um, not an easy decision, especially given what I had been shown in my own life about you know, cheating and what that looked like and uh what to put up with. So for me personally, that was a deal breaker. Like that was not something I was willing to say, I'm gonna stay here and try to make a marriage out of this. I felt like that was just not a good foundation from where we were gonna begin. And just one sidebar, uh, really good things happened for both of us out of this, like moving on into new things in our lives. He found someone I was told. Um, ironically enough, they got married the same day I did. But anyway, um, and I found someone. So it was all good stuff, right? But just it was a summer where I thought I was going to be this wild girl, go live my best single life and all the things, and God definitely had different plans for me. So leading up to my birthday, uh, that kind of sets the stage. I'm home from college, I definitely want to have like a wild Amy era, kind of a single life situation, albeit in Memphis, Tennessee. So, I mean, I wasn't going to be totally crazy. Um, but a couple of weeks, maybe a month before, like in the month of June, uh, my family was headed over to a family friend's house. They had built this in-law suite. And I know if you listen to season one, I think it was episode three, uh, I talk a little bit about this, but I'm gonna go into a little more detail. So uh we end up being invited over to this family's house to help paint, I'm quoting, uh quoting, paint the in-law suite. And there were several of us that were invited. Uh, they had two grown sons that were in their 20s, but then they also had two younger daughters that were, um, I can't even remember their ages. I want to say maybe maybe like eight and twelve, eight and thirteen, seven and twelve, six and twelve, something like that. But two younger girls that were still at home. And so we came over, um, was the deal. We were coming over, right? Well, my mom let it slip that there was a fella involved, that there was gonna be this boy that she wanted me to meet. And that sent me on a tirade and a baby hissy fit. And I was like, I'm not going. Like, I am not going to go meet a boy. I am not spending the summer with some guy or whatever else. So um we had a banter back and forth, and um, if you know me and know I was definitely mouthy, but I was obedient. So if my mom said I was gonna do something, I was gonna do it, but I was not going down without a fight. So mouthed off, told her I wasn't doing it, whatever else. Well, it happened that this was a Sunday and we had been to church, and back in the day, this was like the 90s, early 90s, uh, when you went to church, you did your hair. And if you have ever seen me on social media or you watch this, you see I have very long, very straight hair. And so curling it was an act of love and definitely something that I did often. I would sleep on like rollers or I would rag roll my hair and sleep on it that way or whatever. But like I would curl my hair typically Saturday night in preparation for Sunday morning. Um, so I had done that. Done my hair full face of makeup, had dressed really nice for the morning, obviously. And my mom trying to kind of sweeten the deal, she says, Well, why don't you drive my car, which happened to be a little Toyota Selica convertible. Um, and Robert and I will take his car over and you just get ready and and come on over. Still pitching my baby fit, didn't want to go, didn't want to go. So angry because I did not, y'all, I just I didn't want to meet a boy. I didn't want a guy in my life, I just want to be single, have fun, and play around for the whole summer, and then go back to college and do my thing. Um, and so I came home, I was at, well, I was at home, and my mom had called and talked to me, talked to me in person, and was like, girl, you're going. So get it figured out and don't be long behind us. So I march up to my room just on fire. I am so angry. I proceed to take my brush out, brush all of the curl out of my hair, put on the literal, absolute holiest, most stained, disgusting t-shirt that I owned, a pair of umbro shorts, my Tevas, and threw my hair up in this ratty ponytail, messy, I don't even know what it was, situation, but literally like up on top of my head. Like if I took all my makeup off, didn't even put on gloss. Like I was not going over there trying to look any kind of way. Threw a baseball cap in the back of my mom's car, put the top down, and zipped on over to our friend's house. I walk into the door and I am met by this older gentleman I've not met before. Um, he is, you know, maybe 10 years older than my parents at the time. So he's in his 60s, mine are in their 50s. He introduces himself, and like I turn and he quickly pushes the back of this guy and introduces me to him. And this was the boy that I was told I was going to meet. So Charles introduces me to John. Um, John introduces himself, and then as quickly as he was standing there, he literally like turns and darts out of the room. At which time I then turn and I see my mom, and I'm like, Okay, I've done my thing, you know, kind of a look. And very soon within the conversation, Charles is saying, Do you mind giving him a ride home? And I'm like, I literally have just met this guy. I have no idea who he is. One, two, I am meant to go out with my best friend from college. She and I were gonna go out that night. And three, no, like, ew, I came, I said hello, I was pleasant and I had good manners, albeit I look like the kiss of death. But like, dude, I am not here trying to give somebody a ride home. Um, also, uh Southern girl who goes to church, so yes, I'm gonna say yes, I'm not gonna be embarrassing in that situation. Um, and that's when John then turns on his heels and darts out of the room. And I'm just like, this is so ridiculously embarrassing and so awkward. So I stay there for I don't know how long, it feels like eternity, it's probably an hour. Uh paint with my mom and stepdad it, and finally I stumble upon John and I'm like, listen, if you still need that ride home, I'm gonna have to leave and we're gonna have to do this now because I've got plans for tonight and I need to I need to go ahead and start making my way. In my mind, I'm thinking he lives close by. Okay, so I'm a little bit nervous about my time and how long I've got to get him there and then get myself back over to our house. Shouldn't take probably 30 minutes round trip in my head. That's what I'm thinking. Well, he does his thing of wrapping up, doing pleasantries and whatever else. I do my thing, you know, we move around whatever rooms and say goodbye to everyone. And he comes two-fisted to my mom's car with a shirt over his arm. He's got a white styrofoam cup and a red solo cup. And he sets the styrofoam cup in the cup holder or puts the solo cup down on the floorboard, and then very quickly panics. And as I turn my head to look over at why he is panicking, it's because he has a red solo cup full of beer. Full, full of beer. It knocks over in the floorboard. There is beer all over the front of my mom's car, and I am dying because my mom, a very particular human when it comes to her car. She is very adamant about treating her car really well, like does the whole getting it cleaned or cleans it personally every week, keeps the interior immaculate. And I'm like, are you freaking kidding me right now? Like you have spilled beer all over my mom's car. Beer in Memphis in June. Not a cool month, not a chilly month. This is hot, humid, and in my mom's convertible. Anyway, so he quickly takes the shirt that he had, I guess he had like a polo shirt, had changed into a t-shirt, takes his polo and like is sopping up the floor, whatever. I'm trying to make him feel good. And I'm like, don't worry about it. I'm sure it'll be fine. You know, once it dries, we'll keep the top down, you know, whatever. So he gets into the car and uh we hook up our seat belts and our, you know, I'm backing up out of the driveway. And so I'm like, okay, so where exactly are we going? And he was like, oh my gosh, I don't have my wallet and house keys. And I was like, okay, well, where do we need to go to get those? Well, at the time, so in Memphis, there are smaller townships on the outskirts of town, and we have gone uh where we are located is in a smaller town called Collierville, which is pretty far outside of the city limits, maybe 25-30 minutes from Memphis. It's pretty far. Um, and he's like, okay, I need to go back to Germantown and pick up my keys and wallet. So it's about a 25-minute drive to there. And then from that place, then I need to go back out to where I actually am living right now, which is with a family that lives in um outside of Memphis, but like another 30 minutes from where we were in Germantown. And I'm like, are you kidding me right now? Like, we've got to go all these places in order to get you home. Great. So we drive over to Germantown, and all the while we're chatting, you know, kind of getting to know each other, whatever. Um, he tells me a little bit about like what how he made him his way back to Memphis, that he's actually from Atlanta. And I didn't pick up in our conversation that he actually came back to Memphis. Like he had lived a substantial amount of his childhood in Memphis before his dad got um transferred over to Atlanta. I don't know how I missed that. Might have been because we're in the convertible, it's harder to hear, I don't know, whatever, but I didn't pick up on that in this particular conversation. So, long story short, we do this 45-55-minute freaking ride around the country, it felt like, to go get his keys and wallet, then get back over to where he lived or whatever. So as we approached getting him back to where he was staying, uh, he tore off the top of the white solo cup and asked if he could give me his number. And I was like, sure. And at that time he had a pager and a cell number, so he gave me both. And I jokingly said, I was like, Well, I'm not that fancy, I only have a cell number and a house number, so here are my numbers and gave them to him. And we went on our merry way. Well, I worked at a kids' camp for a church. Um, I was the director of the babies, so that was uh kindergarten through second grade. And back in that day, you know, I mean, you're talking 32 years ago, you did not carry your cell phone with you in certain circumstances, and you certainly didn't have it on your person all the time. Typically, for girls, we would just throw ourselves into our purse because there wasn't anything but talking and texting you were doing on a cell phone at this point. There were no iPhones where you were or Google phones or Androids or whatever, you you just had like a flip phone or a slide phone or just a phone. It was literally for talking and texting. There was nothing else you were doing on it. Uh, and if you were not super uh into buying the most expensive phone, when you were doing said texting, you were texting by number. So like it the the number, I think it was, I think it did start with one, and that was A, B, and C. So like you would have to hit it for the letter you wanted, and then the next letter and the next letter. Like you were very serious about your text game back in the day. There was none of this like having a keyboard situation, and if you did, you were like BlackBerry fancy, and you were really fancy if you were doing that. So I was not. I was uh, you know, having to push the buttons a hundred times to get the right letter, and then you know, whatever. So we left that day. Uh, I went to work later the next week, midweek, I got a phone call, an emergency phone call while I was working. And I know I shared this back in season one, uh, but just quick recap: my mom calls me. I was on a field trip, get a radio uh message on the walkie-talkie that I need to come back immediately, that I have an emergency phone call. So I get the bus driver to please bring me back. She does. I go to the phone, and I'm I'm really nervous because it's only been uh two years, a year and a half ago, that my grandfather had passed away. And so I'm thinking, the worst, right? Your mind immediately going to the worst. I'm thinking, oh my gosh, my grandmother, there's something wrong with my grandmother, or something wrong with one of my stepfather's parents. And so we um I get back to the church, I call my mom, and I was like, is you know, is everything okay? And she was like, Oh yeah, why? And I said, Well, they said it was an emergency. And she goes, Oh, I didn't mean it was really an emergency, but that boy, you remember that boy that you met last Sunday? Well, he called you, and I'm like, Mom, I mean, fine. Also, I don't honestly care that he's called me. I mean, he's nice enough or whatever, but like, you can't call me at work for this. Like, please don't do that again because I will get in trouble for being up here. They had to bring me back from a field trip to call. So, anyway, I get home that night, I call John, and um, I kind of tell him, you know, the story of what has happened, and he was mortified. He was like, Oh my god, I had no idea. He said, I actually just had some free time in my day. I was calling to see if you wanted to go out this weekend, trying to give you a few days' heads up, whatever. And um, and I was like, you know, super appreciative of that, happy to go out, you know. I get off from work on Fridays at, I don't know, like 6 or 6:30, and uh I can get home, you know, shower and whatnot. You'll want me to do that after working with kids all day. Um, and so we went out for that first date, and from that point forward we're literally inseparable. So this was just after the 4th of July. Like we didn't get together for the 4th. He already had plans, I already had plans, so we did our own thing or whatever. But we got together that next week, and uh my birthday is on the 23rd. So, like for the full week, we I think got together almost every single day or night. We met up or saw each other or grabbed dinner or just hung out or whatever. So my family had planned a celebration for my 21st birthday, and uh I was told I was, you know, welcome to invite John to that. And so we had lunch at a restaurant in Memphis that was um I can't remember what it was called then. It's now called Southern Social, uh, but then it was called something else. And we sat in this certain area because we were a large party and had a big table. It was all the grandparents and uh the two stepcousins I had, my stepbrother um and John. So like my grandmother, my mom's mom flew in from out of town for this one. Um so it's super special. And I am gonna pop a picture in so you guys can see. Uh one, I loved the dress and the hat that I was wearing that day. It was I was very pleased with my outfit. Uh, and two, was super excited uh to be spending it with John. And what's interesting is is like I said earlier, uh I really did not want to date anyone, at least I didn't think so, um, leading up to meeting him that Sunday afternoon. But by the third date, I think we said second or third date, because we spent so much time together and like we would stay on the phone or get on the phone together and talk for hours. Hours we would talk. And uh we knew by our second or third date, like third for sure, I knew. Well, because first date he dropped me off, didn't kiss me. Second date kissed me as he left. And I cried when I closed the door because in my my heart at that point I knew I was gonna marry him. And I cried not because I was sad, not. Necessarily, but it was like I knew in that moment I had laid down what my heart's desire was before I met him. And I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that he and I were going to get married in that moment. Uh, and our third date is when we talked about it. We were both on the same page there in our minds, um, had been thinking about it, and we just knew I there was something about our relationship, albeit so brand new, um, but what we had shared with one another just in our conversations and in the time we had spent together, uh, it was very evident. And um little did that young sweet little couple know in the moment all that we were getting ready to sign up for. Um albeit I had an idea of some of what we were gonna be going through in my family side of things, and I prepared John as best I knew how and actually gave him permission to walk away uh pretty early on, just saying, you know, like you're signing up for some stuff that I can't really put words to just yet, but I know that there will be things that we will go through together. And um are you sure you really want to jump into this with me? You like you really want to jump into the deep end because it is deep. I mean, you're like you think you're jumping into the deep end of a pool, and I'm telling you we are going to like the ocean's abyss of deepness that you're getting ready to jump into with me. And do you really want to do that? Like, are you sure this is really what you want to like be in with me? Uh, because if not, I'm giving you carte blanche of walking away with no strings attached, no hard feelings, an absolutely complete understanding if you don't want to do this. Seriously, like he even said that back in season one or beginning of season two when I brought him on the show. Um, he even spoke to that. Like, that is so true. I was 110% honest and truthful in what it all was looking like and what I was willing to let him be able to like walk away from. And um, but at my party that day, my little birthday luncheon, we had a delightful meal. Um, he was with me to have my very first drink. Uh, we toasted with champagne, and uh he was very surprised that I had not had alcohol before. That was my first alcohol that I had had. He thought I was joking um until he actually witnessed my family and how they responded uh to me drinking champagne. But um it was it was everything I imagined that I desired in the man that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. Um so many firsts with him. Um and I was so thankful for. Not all, I was hopeful that I had, but so many firsts with him and like having a drink together for the first time, that was the first. Um and so many things that we've gotten to celebrate along the way. And I think what's so crazy is when I think back to that 21st birthday, you know, we went and did all of that with our family, my family, but then he and I celebrated that night together, and he made it super special um in the way that was special to me. And what I mean by that is like John was very cognizant, even that young. He was 24 when we met and turned 25 that summer. I was 20 and turned 21. Is that right? No, he was 25, turned 26 that summer. I was 20, turned 21, because we're five years apart. But he was very cognizant of what I liked, what made me smile, what made me feel loved, what made me feel special, what really spoke to my heart, and what pushed me out of my comfort as well. And so, for instance, like he made it a point to handwrite me notes uh and buy me cards and flowers, and he would have something on my car a mist literally every single day before I went to work, um, because our schedules were we both worked early in the morning. Um, and I usually got off depending on what he had going on with work, because he was learning all about the building business working with Charles, depending on what they had going on. Typically he got off a little bit earlier than I did. Um, but not always. Sometimes I would get off a little bit sooner or whatnot, but he always would have something for me on my car, even if it was just a little slip of paper, but he would him write me notes, and he always called me his princess, um and flowers, um, not a ton of things. He knew that that wasn't important to me. Like I wasn't a girl who cared about jewelry and clothes and purses and makeup and all that kind of stuff. I was like, he was lucky for me to have any kind of makeup on, usually maybe a little bit of mascara and some lip gloss because I just wasn't, I didn't wear makeup other than maybe to go to church or uh if we were going to do something that was more formal, like if we were going to the theater, for instance. Um and that was partly just the generation I'm from. There were a lot of girls who were very much about the whole natural look, and there wasn't this fake natural like we have today where everybody's put on like 700 layers of you know concealer, and I don't even know what people put on because I'm not that girl. I wear tinted moisturizer and a few other things, and that's about it. Um, but like natural look was very much a thing, and um thankfully he loved that part of me because that's just who I was. So, like all this stuff was not so important. My love language I found out later in life is quality time, and so for him to spend the amount of energy and effort he did dating me uh to make me feel loved and special, it was incredible. And even that early on in our relationship, I mean, he always went over the top to make sure that I felt loved that way. Um, and so yeah, that 21st birthday for me, leading up to it was insanity because I was so determined I was not gonna date anyone. And then getting to celebrate the way that we did at the restaurant with my family, having my first drink together, and then that night, him taking me out for dinner and just hanging out together, spending time together was incredible. Um, and like the things, the details of what he would think about always made me feel so special. Like he always made sure to make me feel special, still does, but like then early on, you know, even um uh that's very much who he uh is. He's very cognizant of that and the people that he cares about and loves, his kids um and dear friends, like uh he is aware of those details, and so um he makes uh uh uh you feel seen and sometimes it sneaks up on you, you don't even realize that he's done it, but he's aware and he makes it a point to be mindful of those details. Um and so it made my 21st birthday super special. And part of what is interesting about our relationship is I was so tight-laced, straight-laced kind of a human, um, very much a rule follower, and at that point in my life exceptionally so. Like I was very much rigid and by the book. Um, and he was so much a just free spirit, fly by the seat of your pants, let's just go have fun, let's go, you know, party and have a good time, and we'll worry about paying bills later. And so we compliment each other in such an amazing way because we are so different in that piece of our personality, and yet we are so similar. So, like I, even though I'm very type A, check off the boxes, whatever else, I love to have a good time. I love a good belly laugh, I love a really good story, I love dancing and singing, I loved being in musical theater or theater in general. Um, I loved being in music, like creative, artistic, um, painting, writing, you know, those are all me. Whereas John, not that, like that wasn't his thing. However, music very much a big part of who he is and what's important and special to him. He comes from a very musically gifted family and um is musically gifted himself, albeit he would never admit that. But like he was so flat by the seat of his pants, whereas I was so tightly wound. And so we balance one another in a beautiful way and still can have tons of fun together, still to this day. Do we his goal I think in life is to make me laugh, and my goal in life is to make him in different ways. We're we're a riot, the two of us. Uh, but also we wouldn't have been married 29 years and have known each other and been dating, you know, the previous two. So like 32 years we've known each other and have been uh either dating or married. So um I thought about that a lot lately. Um, I think I'm when I'm thinking back to last week, if I made mention of this, I am pretty sure I did. I said I started writing again. And um I have. I've started writing a lot lately. Um, and I'm hopeful next year is gonna be a really big year for that piece. But like in that, I'm writing a lot and thinking through stories that you all have not heard yet that have brought me to where I am today, and that will be a big part of the book that I am putting together that I'm super excited about. But it just keeps me smiling because even though it's heavy and hard, there are some really heavy things that I'm having to write about. There are also some really fun things that I get to write about too, and fun memories uh that I've had so far in life, and so um that was kind of how I landed on today was thinking about you know what to celebrate this week in the episode that we were having this month, and thinking about my favorite birthday and the why behind it and how I arrived at it was definitely something that made me smile really big and is definitely a big thing of something I want to celebrate and celebrate really well. Um is you know, picking out favorites and talking about them and the why behind it. Uh and I think because it's my first birthday I spent with John as just someone who we had literally just started dating, and um the absolute fun that we had doing the dating thing, we had so much fun dating. He is a really good dater, like he knows how to date really well. Um and it okay, I have to say this too. So, fun fact about when we were dating, I'm gonna go ahead and say this part. I think I told this to Maddie in season one when we were talking about this. I think it was episode two or three, but we were talking about just John's personality and how magnetic it is to people. But like literally the first six months he and I dated, literally every time we would go out to dinner together, which was often, every single time we had a female server, she would somehow slip John her number. I mean, it got to the point where one point we had a girl like sit down in the booth next to him while I was sitting across from him. And he looked at her and he was like, um, I'm with her. It's just like, well, that's fine. You can drop her off. He goes, No, you need to get up. Literally, I am with her. Period. Like there is no us. It's she and I. I mean, it was out of control, crazy. And half the time he was oblivious. I would get so tickled because like on the, you know, on the receipts they would bring, you know, call me and it'd be girls' name and number or whatever. And I just, I can't even. Um, it's just not shocking that I enjoyed being around him because literally everyone did. Um, but it just was it got comical because every time we turned around, the girls were putting the numbers down for her, him, whatever. And I was like, you know, it's ironic because like guys weren't like putting their numbers down for me. And he goes, Well, no, because they know I'd kick their butt. And I'm like, Well, yeah, that's fair. Apparently, I don't have the like messy bun earrings out kind of a vibe. These girls really didn't know who I was. I'm quite the jealous gal uh when it comes to my fella, but um they weren't picking up that uh part of me. So anyway, um, but yeah, 21st birthday, by far my favorite. By far my favorite. And it's funny because uh two years later, John and I got married, and or well, a year and a half later we got married, and then wound up having Quinn, our first year of marriage, is when I found out about him. Like I was pregnant with him or whatever, but had him the following July, and like my 24th birthday, I was 23 when he was born 24 the next week, kind of a thing, because we're a week apart in our birth dates, you know, and people be like, Oh my gosh, when that your favorite birthday, or whatever, becoming a mom or whatever, whatever. And my thing about that is this my favorite job ever is being a mom, hardest job ever being a mom. Favorite birthday though, definitely is my 21st, because without that 21st birthday, Quinn and Madd wouldn't be here. So I like going back to where it began. And wow, so that was a great birthday. That was a really good one. So thanks for joining me this week and letting me gush about my my birthday and meeting my fella and getting to celebrate that birthday with him, special day and whatnot. But definitely hope you guys will join me next week. I've got some fun things that we're gonna do together as we celebrate our official one year. Um I cannot believe that. I like I sit here and I start thinking about it, I gotta quit because it'll get me teary. But um next week when we get together, it'll be a really big, big celebration day because it will be our official one-year anniversary of the Edwards Table. And um just get to talk about some of my favorite things along the way of learning all about being a podcaster, and which I find that so funny. I've done it for a year and I still feel silly when I say that out loud that I'm a podcaster and I'm an author. Okay. Um, and I'm also into social media, which is really hilarious. If you follow me on social media, you'll get a chuckle out of that because I'm not any great professional there, but I have fun doing it. It's tons of fun. Uh, so in the meantime, I hope you have a great day, week, afternoon, evening, morning ahead, whatever time of the day it is that you're listening in. And always remember how much you are loved and appreciated here at the Edwards Table. And that you know, as I say every week, there is always a seat right here just for you. So until next time, thank you guys for stopping by, and I will look forward to celebrating a little more next week with you.