Happy Birthday Falulah

Let me tell you about Falulah. She is the 3rd child of 4. She and Tadpole are 1 month apart in age. OK I see you adding up on your toes and fingers and looking like my boxer when you ask him if he wants a cookie. She is my child from another birth mother.

She is an incredible woman. She is strong and intelligent. She is loving and giving. She is gracious and grateful. She is a beautiful person inside and out. She loves animals and is studying Veterinary Science. This is after she went and lived life for several years. She tried insurance and that wasn’t what she wanted to do. She decided instead of just making a living to make a life. That entailed putting the other aspects of her life on hold and going back to school.

She did this gladly with enthusiasm and zeal. She is very independent and though she moved back home she maintains her independence. She works two full time jobs and goes to school. She also takes care of the three dogs and our property while we are gone. She watches over her younger sister, Lulu, makes sure she gets to class and is there should she need anything. I tell you she is awesome.

I think she is one of the bravest people. She has never met a stranger like her dad she will walk up and talk to anyone. She will ask questions and has an honest curiosity that people are drawn to and will simply pull back the red rope and allow her into what ever event.

This weekend she said something that made me laugh. We were driving along talking about the different types of driver’s license. Out of nowhere she blurted out “I would like to get my Class A license so I could drive a Big Rig.” What? Uh? I turned in my seat to look at her face and make sure she wasn’t pulling my leg. She was dead serious. I asked “Why would you want to do that?” Her answer was very matter of fact “that would just be one more accomplishment.” So now I have a mental picture of my beautiful daughter driving a Big Rig like Large Marge in the PeeWee Herman movie.

I see the fears and the ‘oh my gosh I couldn’t do that’, she sees the challenge. She is like that in all aspects of her life. A couple of years ago she picked up and moved to New Mexico by herself just to do it. Then she hopped on a plane and went to Japan for a couple of weeks. Ok she went and visited her cousin but still she just got out there and did it. I am overwhelmed. Again I would have a million reasons not to including that Godzilla could have hurled an errant meteor at me and smushed me into radioactive mush. She came home with stories of beautiful scenery and hand carved chop sticks. I would have come home radioactive mush.

So to my beautiful strong brave and independent daughter HAPPY BIRTHDAY. I hope and pray some of your courage rubs off on me. I hope you had a wonderful birthday and a wonderful weekend.