daughter's 21st speech

[Janice]

Help! First time on this site so you've got an idea of how stressed I am! It's my daughter's 21st in one month and I need inspiration. Complicated in that her dad and I are divorced 14 years and both have new partners however my ex never quite accepted our break-up (or my new partner). As a result this will be the very first time they will be in the same room together in all these years! My ex and I (at his insistance) will be the only 2 to get up and say something about her and this is where my next stress comes from - what do I say??? I'm only 40 myself and quite young for my age so I need something funny and trendy rather than heavy. Can anyone help please?

[Doctor]

Janice

I think that the best idea would be to keep it short and sweet.

Don't worry about your ex-husband. That is a past pahse in your life and one that should have no bearing on your speech.

The best advice I can say is to keep it short and sweet.

You could look back to the time when you first held her in your arms. You could recount a touching moment from when she was a child, or something nice or sweet that she told you when she was young. You could show one of the certificates or achievements that you were very proud. You could produce a few photos of her as a girl.

You then could say that you could never have imagined what a nice girl she has turned out to be. End by proposing a toast - even if this has been done before.

At all costs avoid saying anything about the breakup.

The key is to write it down and practice it in front of a mirror. Read it out loud at least 4 times and practice in front of a trusted friend or even a work colleague. Don't get tempted to chnage the speech on the day.

Good luck. I'm sure that it will go well.