HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ERIN!

Some people may argue this, but I maintain that nothing of importance during the first year of the 21st century.  Matter of fact, it wasn't until the third of February in 2002 that history was made.  Future generations would do well to mark the date, for this was the day that granddaughter Erin was born.  Because Erin is sure to mark her mark on the world.  She has already made a mark on my heart for the past 23 years.

Erin has always traveled her own path.  Kitty wanted her to be born a day earlier, just because 2-2-02 had such a symmetrical sound to it.  Erin defied her grandmother -- and was probably the only person in the world to do so -- and was born the following day.  Not to worry, though.  Kitty forgave her instantly.  One look at Erin's beautiful, calm face was all that it took.  Erin had a very difficult birth but despite danger signs, she came put perfect.  Not that I am prejudiced, buy she has carried that perfection for the past 3 years, with no sign of letting up.

How can I describe her?  First of all, she's very smart.  When she was younger, she knew how smart she was.  When she went to college she learned that she might be as smart as she thought she was  -- and that takes a lot of smarts to realize that.  She learned, even though she reads Sarah Maas and Rebecca Yarrow.  She's talented, both artistically and musically.  She's funny with a sense of humor both dry and wry.  She's loving and kind and generous and empathetic.  She loves her cat and her dog and her two hedgehogs and will do whatever is needed to cherish and protect them.  (Not to put her on the spot, but she feels that same toward her boyfriend of six years, Trey {who is almost as cool as Erin is].)  She is fierce.  She is determined,  She is hard-working.  As a bonus, she is also breathtakingly beautiful (with Christina and Walt as her parents and Kitty as her grandmother, how can she not be?)

To say that I am proud of her is like saying water is wet.  My love for her has been hardwired into my soul from Day One.

And every day, she makes me smile.  Every single day.

Happy birthday, sweetheart.