Twenty-One

January 12, 1988

At seven years young
you opened the door.
Your too long gown
gently dragging the floor.

Looking up at me
so quiet and unsure.
With questioning eyes
and innocence pure.

"Who might you be"
your unspoken word.
"Are you a good person"
I silently heard.

A humble beginning
yet this moment I knew.
A special connection
born for me and for you.

From Raggles to Reindeer
and Catholic school.
Or emergency rooms
til well after two.

And those teenage years
all fraught with drama.
Of a rusted out truck
oh my God, what a trauma.

Then off to Georgia
a new chapter began.
The Red and the Black
and a Bulldog fan.

Now another milestone
you've grown and come far.
At last you can legally
drink in the bar.

And as the years passed
I've watched as you grew.
Gracefully dealing
with all that you do.

Hoping you remember
when life seems unfair.
Nothing can break
the bond which we share.

Happy Birthday Beth Anne!