Growing up, there was something sacred about spotting a deer. It meant stillness. it meant paying attention. It meant the world was softer than you thought. A deer never announces herself; she appears, and suddenly everything feels flushed and holy. And that is who the Deer is.

I met her sophomore year of college, at a time when both of us were finding our way in a new area, all on our own. There was something unspoken in that season, like we both recognized an ache in each other without needing to name it. And then we went on a walk. Three (ish) miles, side by side, neither of us pausing long enough for silence to settle in. We talked the entire time, about everything, about nothing, and somewhere along the Jacoby trails, we found something steady and lasting. It felt easy. It felt honest. It felt like finding someone who could walk beside you through both the heavy and the light (and that is what it is).

Since then, so much of our friendship has lived in those in-between spaces. Coffee dates that stretch for hours, homework that never quiet gets done because there is too much to share. Movie nights where our inability to stay quiet fills the theatre. Countless discount donut trips. And even now, 152 miles apart, we have found our rhythm in our daily podcasts, filled with updates, reflections, and laughter that makes the distance feel a little smaller.

The Deer is not loud, but trust she is never unnoticed. She moves through the world with a steady grace, led by faith, grounded in kindness, and guided by a wisdom that feels both gentle and deeply rooted. Her joy is real and unforced, the kind that sneaks up on you until you are laughing so hard you have tears rolling down your face, because she is, without question, one of the funniest people to be around. There is never a dull moment with her, only lightness, only life.

She creates beauty wherever she goes. In the clothes she sews, in the bread she makes that feels like comfort made tangible, in the dreams she carries in her future. Her creativity is not just something she does, it is something she is. And it reflects a heart that pays attention, that cares deeply, that wants to bring goodness into the world.

The Deer reminds those around her that life does not have to be hurried to be meaningful. That love can look like long walks where time disappears, like conversations that carry you through hard seasons, like laughter echoing in apartment 12. That even in a busy world, there is still room for softness, for faith, for joy.

April 7th is a day to celebrate the Deer. May her path always feel guided. May her hands always have something beautiful to create. May her laughter continue to fill every space she occupies. And may she always know how deeply loved she is, how steady her presence is, and how much brighter the world feels simply because she exists.

Happy birthday, Deer. I hope your day is full of Cream Soda OliPops, White Cheddar Protein Mac & Cheese, and Raisinets.