Saturday, December 05, 2009

EIGHT ME ALIVE

Erin is 8 today.

It is too easy to lapse into hyperbole when talking about your loved ones. But it is nothing more than unvarnished truth to say that, without Erin, I would not be alive. The story of why belongs in the past, but at the time, she was the rope I clung to in order to climb back to the world. Without her, I would not have met Luscious. Without her, I would not have found a new family. Without her, I would not have seen the life I have seen over these last 8 years. She carries within her the part of me that I lost, and could only regain through her.


She is a child of caring and delight, who thinks Captain Sensible is marginally better than Pink; who sees no problem in growing up to be an artist, dancer, teacher, and nurse all at the same time, as long as she can still play basketball; who will thank a friend for coming to play by making her a set of earrings; who can make horns with her lower lip and turn her tongue upside down; and I cannot look at her without a blinding pride.
Happy birthday, my most beautiful daughter.

2 comments:

Lynne Triffitt (the other one) said...

Hello Lee,
this is the east Coast Lynne.

Congratulations to your beautiful girl and, by extension, to you all. I can't believe she's eight. She's growing into a stunner. Have your got the tasers ready to stun all the boys whoa are going to make trouble in a few years?

regards
Lynne

Unknown said...

We're quietly proud :)

As my best friend Seanie sadi after the birth of his first daughter-- within an hour of her birth, without even having to look it up, he suddenly knew where all the gun shops were in a hundred mile radius....