22 years ago, I stood in an operating room and watched a tiny little messy baby girl emerge into the world. There was a stereo playing in the background as the docs and the nurses worked. It was an Eagles album – I’m sure it was a tape as CD’s probably weren’t invented yet. Desperado was the song that played as the little baby pulled that first lungful of Mother Earth into her lungs.
“…
You know the queen of hearts,
Is always your best bet…
And some fine things, have been laid upon your table…â€
That little baby is all grown up now, celebrating her 22nd birthday today. She’ll always be the Queen of Hearts in my book I suppose, or maybe the Princess, though everyone else seems to think she’s all grown up.
I look at her sometimes, and listen to her talk, and wonder at the beautiful person she’s become. How did this happen? It seems so sudden. It seems only a short while ago she was 8 years old, and we’d race upstairs at bedtime, and negotiate how many books we’d read together before the lights went out. She’d fall asleep cuddled up to me. I’d fall asleep too.
While I miss those wonderful times a little bit, I also burst with pride and joy at the beautiful person that keeps emerging into adulthood. We banter now and then, and tease each other a bit, and I suppose in another 22 years I’ll look back on today with nostalgic longing, while watching in wonder as that little princess continues to emerge into yet another stage of beauty.
Happy Birthday Princess.
