Ceasar ignored this dire warning and the results of his disdain are etched into the annals of history. Words that have become synonymous with disregard of signs and portents to ones inevitable demise.
So it was with that warning resonating in my head that the Ides of March dawned and it was deemed time by the powers of the Universe the day for my first born child to appear.
Fifteen years ago today, I bestowed upon the world a wondrous gift: My daughter Dana.
A graceful creature of wit, charm and humility, her gentle personality can soothe even the m....no....wait. That's Audrey Hepburn. Right. Ok. We were talking about Dana. Dana, Dana, Dana. Well, let's see. Grace? At 4 months old she took a header out of her baby swing reaching for her bright purple socks. Wit and charm? Doesn't need 'em. She flashes those dimples at you and you're done. Gentle and soothing? About as gentle and soothing as a chainsaw at a rock concert.
Passionate, funny, loyal, protective, generous, sensitive, confident? Bingo!
Dana was so ready to taste life that she tried to make her grand entrance about 4 months early. Right from the start she showed a propensity to laugh loud, cry hard, run fast and climb high. Ever the attention getter, she was thrilled when her little sister arrived and she gained a captive and appreciative audience for her grandiose shennanigans. It wasn't long after said sister became mobile that Dana's protective side shone through. She took her job as big sister as serious as a heart attack. She's the same way with her friends now: fiercely loyal, loving and as protective as a mama bear.
Dana can be a colossal pain in the ass: overly dramatic, sensitive to a fault, mule-headed and prone to fly off the handle. She must have inherited those traits from her father...But there isn't a single thing that I'd change about her. I love the fact that she shouts, laughs with her whole body, runs amok like a kindergartner hyped up on sugar, cries during Disney movies, dresses up at Halloween, plops herself in my lap and gives me hugs and kisses (ignoring my breathless grunts of discomfort) and still tells me she loves me even with her friends around.
She's a pain, a joy, a twit, a smart-ass, a child, a grown-up, crazy, unstoppable.
She's my daughter. She's my Dana.
I love you, kiddo. Happy birthday.
Awww I love it! She is gorgeous.
Happy Birthday, Dana!
Awesome! You made me tear up. :)
Well said. Your daughter is a delight and I am honoured to love her like my own. Happy Birthday Dana!