Happy Birthday Mark. You. The first born have had, in my estimation, the hardest road to travel of the first. Not only were you the first you had to break in your parents to the art and science of child rearing. I have to say you were a perfect baby. We were in our last years of school when you came around. We staggered our classes so one parent would be in class and the other would be tending you. You spent a lot of time on my lap that first year. You adapted perfectly to a wheelchair using dad. I think the secret was to keep moving and keep placing new items in your field of vision—regardless, you were perfect, quiet and smiled all the time. The other students loved you and the professors put up with you. I think we got our degrees as a direct result of your good behavior. Thanks.
Your intelligence has always fascinated me. You seemed to understand things perfectly. Once you learned a skill you would catalog the skill and move on. You always have had little used for organized education. You were content to learn what you needed on your own. Music, mathematics,and other areas of problem solving seemed to come easy to you. I have always been proud of you and what you have accomplished. Again, I apologize for the struggle your life has been. I truly wish the life you were given had not as been difficult as it has. You have done well though.
I was proud of you when you earned your Tai kwon Do black belt. Was it Tuesday night or Thursday night. After work, driving across town to pick you up and over to the gym. Two hours of working out and stopping at Wendy's on the way home for a drink or chili or what ever. Being the eldest your job was usually to push me round during Kid Day and assist me when I needed .I always appreciated the help. I wish I had more resources at that point in in our lives. I hope I did nor embarrass you too much always stopping by Smith's meet department to scarf what ever samples were on the plate then over to RC Willies to get the free hot dogs served every Saturday for just dropping in. Still more then anything, if I could change one item of your childhood, I would have purchased you that video game or games so you would have had one you never had to take back to the video store. I don;'t think it was the inconvenience to you at having to return the video game I think your owning a video game was a deire of some sort of permanence to a very non-permanent life.
Mark I admire the man you have become. You have taken on the yoke of parenthood totally: time with the kids and family integration. You work hard at you employment and with the family. You have set a path and plan to get out of debt and create the wealth you will need to move into your next station in life. I admire that. I have never been as focused. I have truly appreciated your willingness help us with the yard and other areas of the house we have needed., This assist has meant a great deal to Dianne and myself.
So happy birthday, again, 30 years in a blink of an eye. Know that you are loved.
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