Now that's Felicity.

Thank you, Felicity, for being a shopkeeper’s daughter, a tomboy, an American Girl.

Thank you for teaching me that it’s okay to not want to take tea. What if I don't want tea? What if I'm not in the mood for a biscuit or cake? It was hard when we both learned that a lady must never refuse the hospitality of another lady. Its hard being 10, isn't it. I want to learn more than how to pour and drink tea. I appreciate that you helped me learn more.

Thank you for not wanting to wear a petticoat. I especially appreciate this because I often find that a petticoat is so bothersome. You can't run and play in a petticoat. It gets twisted up in your legs and you fall down and get caught from trespassing on Jiggy Nye's land. You were just trying to give that dear horse, Penny, an apple, weren't you? You were just trying to gain her trust. Dear Grandfather caught you, but you were brave. Even though he thinks your father is committing treason against the king by not selling tea, he's a pretty cool guy and you helped me see this.

Your mother told you it was not proper for a lady to ride astride a horse. But that didn't stop you from taming that wild horse. You looked into her eyes and saw passion. There was passion under the wildness in her eyes, wasn't there, Felicity? Most wild eyes are not passionate. But Penny's eyes were different, weren't they? You saw it, and no one else saw that. Except Jiggy Nye, the meanest, most cruel horse tamer in Pre-Revolutionary Virginia.

Thank your for teaching the world that America can minuet. America may be undeveloped. America may not have as many paved roads as London. But it’s not provincial at heart. And in America, a shopkeeper's daughter may be queen for any day. And she can minuet like the best of them.

But most importantly thank you for teaching me that it’s okay to be a girl. It’s really hard being a girl—everyone knows it. Girls don’t' get to play or keep shop. All girls get to do is wear petticoats and drink tea and that's boring.

Although it is pretty cool to be the Belle of the Ball, it’s definitely more fun to sneak out at night and ride astride a horse.

Felicity, I owe you big time.