26 And Still Got It!

ATTENTION: GUEST POST BY DREW

(To experience the full impact of this post, go to the music section and start "She is Love" by Parachute and read at a moderately fast pace.)

So I am not much of a "birthday guy." Growing up I rarely had a "birthday"...it wasn't that my parents forgot or that they didn't have the funds, they just chose not to celebrate what my mother affectionately termed "the day the music died." Okay, okay, that's a bit of a stretch, but I just have never been one who was a good gift-giver or a good gift-receiver, so I tended to plan school sick days, and the downfall of my junior high romances based on the birthdays of those with whom I associated.

I do pride myself on being a fairly decent gag-gift-giver, but that art is steadily losing its footing in mainstream America. Because of my marriage to the author of this blog, I have found myself feeling horribly inept each February (Anniversary & Valentine's), September, and December. Try as I may, I am painfully aware of the fact that gift-giving is not a strength of mine.

Even in drafting this post, I have spent an hour writing and deleting my attempts at being funny, cute, poetic, and even accidentally inappropriate. So I thought to myself, "why am I doing this?" Then I had a realization, a birthday is like a yearly funeral (without the dying part), it gives family, friends and even acquaintances (thanks facebook) the opportunity to tell you how much you mean to them. The celebration of the day is really a celebration of the person.

So here goes (this is probably a better place to start the song):

On September 21, 1983 my world changed. While I wouldn't meet Ash for another 20.5 years, the day certainly has significance. The decisions that she made during those early years may have seemed small at the time, but in hindsight, the effect of those consistent good decisions made our current lives a possibility. Our lives together have been full of many joys, the occasional disappointment, and some of the most fantastic memories that two people could share with each other. Each event I experience with her is so much more meaningful to me because she is a part of it. Despite her apparent perfection, she is steadily finding ways to improve, and I am amazed at how she manages to get more beautiful each and every day.

So today I celebrate the life of a wonderful mother, a devoted wife, a true friend, a great listener, a steadfast supporter, a tremendous dancer, an even better homemaker, and the greatest person I have ever met. I am mindful of the fact that each moment I spend with her makes me an exponentially better person myself. She is what keeps me going, what gives purpose to my life, and what makes me look forward to the wonderful future we have ahead.

I love you Ash. Happy Birthday.