Happy Birthday, Mackenzie

Happy birthday today, Kenze. I don't know when ladies stop saying how old they are but around 26 years ago today you came into our lives and everything changed. My worry quotient doubled. But my happiness quotient doubled, too.

I hope you had a happy childhood.

I hope you slept soundly knowing that your Mother and I would have sacrificed everything to keep you safe from harm.

I hope you know that you were the most important thing in our lives (and your brother, too when he arrived).

I hope that when you heard the word "no", that that often hurt us, too.

I hope you know that you gave us joy we didn't know existed.

I hope you know that we will, on this day and all days forward, continue to put you and your brother above all else in our lives.

I hope you know that we were patient with you and now ask you be patient with us.

I hope you know, and if not you certainly will soon, that a parent's love for a child never wanes, never ends, and is the strongest stuff in the universe.

So, happy birthday, kid, and I hope it is a great one.

Dad

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