18th/21st Birthday Speech from a Parent

Here is an example 18th/21st Birthday speech delivered by a father, but of course you can adapt it to be a mothers speech.

You should probably use adapt it for your own personal use, and put in your own anecdotes. 

Birthday wishes speech, from parent to birthday girl

Ladies and Gentlemen. I would first like to thank you all for coming to my daughter .. .. 21st birthday party tonight. Now, about a week ago .. .. came and asked me, “Dad, when I have my big birthday party with all my family and friends, and the masses of presents and cake; when we’re all there having a drink, I would like you to give a little speech.”

At the time I said ok love and walked into the kitchen a little shaken and nervous. Not because I had to give a speech at her big birthday party, but due to my ever-increasing age, I’d forgotten to organise the party in the first place.

So, my second thank you comes to my wife, and .. .. mother B.Person, for always remembering to do the things I forget, and being, as I’m sure you will all agree, a great mother to our child/children.

So as I sat down to write my speech, I wrote it and re-wrote it. Then I made a few more adjustments to it to make it shorter, had B.Person check it, then edited and re-wrote it again myself. And as you can see, there is no DJ here tonight; that’s because after all the alterations it is still over two hours long.

But on a serious note now, .. .. has turned 21, a milestone in her life, and ours as parents. To see her grow from the beautiful, small and fragile child I first saw in the hospital, 21 years ago to the day, to the strong and independent woman that stands before us now. She is smart, beautiful and has worried us a few times over the years with the choice of boyfriends that she has brought home, but .. .., we are all her today to say we all love you and wish you every happiness in whatever you do next.

.. .. has brought into mine and her mothers’ life more than we could have ever expected after getting more than our monies worth at the cinema that time – only joking. But really, you have filled our lives with a happiness that cannot be measured by any scale man has. Shown us more love than we knew possible and you have made us the happiest parents/parent that there is – thank you.

So good luck in your life with boyfriend/husband (or in the search), and I hope that one day your children will bring you as much happiness as you have brought to us/me.

Just remember this .. ..,

Be happy, and reach for the moon, as if you miss you will land amongst the stars, and be the brightest we can see.

Ryan Marshall, Presentation Magazine

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