A Quarter of a Century of Joy

Ahh, what a milestone. Charlie and I were reminiscing about when we celebrated the BIG two-five. When he turned 25, we were newlyweds. We had only been in our first apartment for a few months. On my 25t birthday, we had already been married three and a half years and were expecting our first child at ANY MINUTE. Turns out, she had her own idea about when she would make her entrance into the world and would arrive 9 days late. Now, as the celebration of my HALF Century milestone comes to a close, I look back to that time, because, well, that expected first child will celebrate that quarter of a century milestone natal anniversary tomorrow. The truth is, not much has changed other than time (the bastard!). She had her own ideas then about how and when to take on the world, and she STILL has a way of taking the world to task.




Tomorrow my first-born baby will be 25 years old. Is that possible? She waited until midnight on my birthday last week to call me. She wanted to be the first to give me birthday wishes. Though we were far apart, I could feel her love through the telephone line. It's hard for me to grasp the notion that my Averie, my little first, my introduction into parenthood, is a grown woman. A career woman. A self-sufficient, responsible, adult human being. She's out there, living her life. And doing it quite well, thank you very much. It would be an understatement to say that Charlie and I are proud. That doesn't even begin to describe what high regard we hold her in. Some people would say; "Well that goes without saying." But I don't take such things for granted. I voice these things, especially to my kids, so that they will never doubt how I feel about them. It's so easy to tell them when you're disappointed, but we should never forget how much more important it is to tell them when you are pleased.





I shouldn't be surprised by her drive or her talent, and the truth is, I'm not. Averie, from the moment she was born, looked at the world with such awe and wonder. She was, is, and always has been driven, goal-oriented, and determined. Sure, there have been setbacks, but she's always had the ability to work through the emotions, get quickly to the other side of a negative situation, and get to where she intended to go. Setbacks are merely a temporary inconvenience.



On this, the eve of my eldest child's 25th natal anniversary, I can only sigh, and smile. The kind of sigh that you sigh when you are happy and satisfied. Yes, there are more milestones ahead for her, but this one is one that really causes me to reflect. My 25th meant her birth. My 50th means her 25th. It's a big deal. When I was 25, I was starting a new career as a wife and mother. For her, it's an entirely different ballgame. Not the same, but equally satisfying. As her mother, my wonder for her began the very first time I held her in my arms and remains unceasing. As her friend, my esteem for her grows greater with each passing year. As a woman, my pride that she has grown into the capable, competent, strong woman that she is, is unwaivering. This funny, beautiful, brilliant, stunning young woman is my child. Fully adult, wholly adored, entirely loved.

Happy Birthday my lovely Averie Joy.