Happy Birthday Dear Daughter

20Jun11

Was looking at the Lil’ Baby today and a thot crossed my mind.  “What the hell do I do with this little Dyna Low Rider?”  To seek an answer to that question I decided to take her out on an errand run to the bank, Alvila’s El Ranchito Mexican Restaurant on Muirlands, and then to Home Depot to futilely search for recessed lighting cans for the MBath and not have any “Associates” come to my request for assistance.  

What a surprise greeted me within 3 minutes on Lil’ Baby, she’s so agile, sprintly, responsive to my inputs, ready to go anywhere and do anything…..I like that.  But that is not the story for today.

Today is my only daughter’s birthday.  Of course, I cannot comment upon this birthday’s lineal number, nor can I mention her name on this public blog in respect for her personal and professional reasons.

She represents many firsts in my life….first child (actually born on Father’s Day), stick shift driving a ’58 MGA when she was 6, first one to greet me upon landing at the airfield on our squadron’s return from a 6 month Pacific deployment, walked her down the aisle, she made me a grandpa, the list is numerous.  She’s quite an accomplished, intelligent woman, a leader.  She is courageous (stories of challenges in the jungles of Mexico abound), independent, resourceful.  She brings much lightness to one’s heavy day. 

She is burdened with work (from home office), cares for her 5 yr old and 6 mo old daughters, supports her husband Landon in all the ways a man hopes to find in that special woman of his life, cares for her closest friends, and somehow keeps her widowed father away from jumping off the edge.  Yeah quite a gal.

It seems like just a few years ago.  In a barracks converted hospital in Pensacola, FL that my lil’ baby was born.  I wasn’t allowed to be part of her birthing.  I had to stand outside the building peeking thru the crack of the double doors to watch the flow of nurses from the delivery room to the newborn baby sleeping area.  I kept peeking thru the crack hoping to see my lil’ baby being brought from the delivery room and hoping to see my wife so I could go to her side. 

Neither was to be.  Finally, I just pushed the doors open and walked into the hallway whereupon I was intercepted by the first nurse who saw me.  “What are you doing here” she demanded,  “Get out of this building!”.  Tho being intimidated since she was a LtCmdr and I was a Marine 2ndLt (hell, that’s equal in rank, ain’t it??), I stated I wanted to know the status of my wife and newborn baby.  She asked for my name and then replied both were well and that I could see them in the morning.  I asked if the baby was a boy or a girl.  She said the baby was a girl.

I then did an about face and passed back thru the double doors to the outside, turned right on the boardwalk and stood in front of the large screening window looking at the newborn babies.  Names were on the edge of each baby’s cart(or whatever they’re called).  Finally I found my name on one of the carts.  I could barely see a little face…..didn’t look like a baby….very scrawny. 

And it’s a girl…..what the hell do I do with a girl?

Think I’ll keep my Lil’ Baby Low Rider…..I suspect there are many firsts in the years to come that she’s gonna add on to the list she’s already started.  And many joys that will feed this old man’s ego and pride.

Happy Birthday Dear Daughter.

C ya mañana

Gonzo