Happy Birthday

Today, Ellie, is your first birthday, and even though I've already said it to you a hundred times today, I will say it again "Happy Birthday!"

To be honest, historically, I haven't always been a huge "birthday person", but like so many other things in my life, over the past year since you were born, my eyes have opened, my mind has changed, and I now see birthdays in a completely different way.  Before, birthdays always felt like a bit of a formality, something that people do for each other to make them feel special.  Now, that may be a bit more "scrooge" than I how I actually felt in real-life, but there was always this feeling of "I have to get a gift" for whoever was celebrating.  Other times, so often, birthdays are used as an excuse to "celebrate" which typically means act irresponsible, spend too much money, drink too much alcohol, or even worse.

Although much of this is all too true with birthdays today, today, is your birthday, and to me, it means something very different.  One year ago today, is the day that my life changed forevermore.  This is the day that an extremely happy man, somehow became indefinitely happier.  This is the day that you and I first met, I first held you in my arms, and your mother and I shared our love for each other with you as our newest addition to our family.

Thinking about that day quickly leads my memory from then until now.  It reminds me how you've become who you are today, the little person you are growing into.  It also reminds me how I've changed, how you've shaped me, and how you are influencing the person that I am becoming.  Because of you, I am trying to be a better father, husband and overall person.

This is what birthdays are really about, not the formalities, but celebrating the importance someone plays in your life.  This is why I will buy you obnoxious amounts of gifts, throw ridiculous parties, let you eat unhealthy amounts of sugar, and probably let you get away with almost anything.  Today, your birthday, isn't really that special, well it is special, just not any more than any other day.  Today reminds me how special every day truly is, and I need to somehow show you that...even though whatever I do can't really compare to how much you mean to me.

The only shame is that in "regular, everyday life," we rarely think like this.  It's not very often that we remember how special "regular, everyday life" is and how special those around you are, the people helping make it that way.  That is something I need to make a point of doing better in the future.

Elliana, happy birthday love!  I love you and thank you, for just being you.