Happy Birthday TC!

Today is our daughter's 16th birthday. SIXTEENTH!!!!

You know the day will come and you try to prepare for it but it still is a shock that sixteen years have past since you brought life into this world to nurture and take care of. Sixteen is a bit of a special year for many reasons. In Ontario, it means you can officially get a learner's permit (called a G1 around these parts) to drive a car, you can officially have sex without persecution (except by my foot in your ass), you are that much closer to being able to vote, you can hold your own OHIP (health) card, you can volunteer, you can work a lot more jobs, you can even marry in some parts (ahem, remember the foot, right?).

Time is a funny animal as you cannot wait for the kids to grow up and then you are looking for where the time went when they do. TC is celebrating her birthday up at Pioneer Camp in Huntsville, ON. We sent her a fax to say happy birthday. We will be picking her up on Saturday to bring her home. Her actual birthday party, a Sweet Sixteen of sorts, will be held in September and we are working to make it a very enjoyable evening for her. She has had birthdays and birthday parties before but she recognizes the importance of this one and it is VERY important to her so that makes it important to us. Family and friends, besides her classmates, have been invited to share in this event as many people have been important and instrumental in her development to get to this point in life; some more than others and I would like to thank everyone for the part they have played past and present.

To our daughter, I simply want to say that you are a bright young lady with the world in front of you. Take the time to learn about the world before venturing out into it BUT do not be afraid to take those steps into those new adventures. Your path is shifting in the sand and you have time and many choices to make before choosing it. Be knowledgeable of the past but embrace the present and look forward to the future. The past has happened and serves as experience, foundation and knowledge. The present is your existence, your new experiences and what you build on. The future is unwritten and unknown and is yours to shape as you wish. Choose well and you will never have to worry about the little things in life. We will be there to help you with the little things so that you have the opportunity to tackle the larger, more important things in life. Your Mum and I wish you all the best in the world, health and happiness as you move on to this next stage in your young life. We love you and we miss you. See you soon.

Mum and Dad