Happy Birthday, Sarah

January 20, 1977. We had to be at the hospital at 7 in the morning to have my labor induced. As we drove past the bank and looked at the temperature, it read 26 degrees. This was in FLORIDA. What a winter we had! I had been on bed rest for a month. One morning when I woke up, it seemed so cold in the house. We had no lights and no heat. The power company was doing rolling blackouts to be able to provide power to all of the homes in the area.
Later that day, at 2:25 Sarah made her entrance into the world, bringing much joy to her father and me. Today she is 30. It's hard to realize that many years have gone by. Sarah is a real source of strength to me. When I was very ill in 1991 and spent a lot of time in the hospital. In the eighth grade at the time, she took over the household duties and carried on, doing well at school and doing so much at home.
I salute my daughter today. She is a caring, giving person who gives 100% in whatever she does. She recently transferred to another department at her work. One of her clients upon hearing that she wouldn't be dealing directly with them anymore told her that she was the reason they had kept their business there. Another client told her that he was going to write a letter and put it in her file, stating that she is the epitome of customer service.
Sarah's definitely her father's daughter. When I look at her, I see his smile, the way she throws her head back when she laughs like he did. I see in her work the same hard work ethic that he had, and it makes me very proud. He would be very proud, and I'm sure he's looking down on her today. Happy birthday, Sarah.

A daughter is a little girl who grows up to be your friend.

A daughter is the happy memories of the past, the joyful moments of the present, and the hope and promise of the future.