Happy Birthday, Madison!

Today is Madison's 6th birthday. Seems like only yesterday I was filming her in the warming table. So small. So fragile. So strong. So alert. Eyes wide open and looking right through me. You wonder how you can love someone so much without knowing anything about her. What will her voice sound like? Will she be smart? What will her personality be like? What will she look like without the cone head?

6 years down the road and the questions have been answered. She has a marvelous voice. She even has a little Broadway vibrato that kicks in when she's really getting into it. We watch her in the back of the car sing along to the music. She is good. She seems to be smart enough. She is one heck of a reader. I asked her what 3 + 6 was the other day and she said: "9. That was easy." So at least she can count too. She is a polite, gregarious, funny, normal, healthy 6 year old with a penchant for making friends. Whew! That's a relief!

All you can do is love them and make sure they know they are loved. Funny how everything usually seems to work out after that.

Something else happened today...oh yea 9/11. I am not belittling that event at all. I'm just happy that the first thing I get to think about on this day for the rest of my life is my daughters birthday not the tragic events of THAT day.

I think it is very important to remember THAT day and why we continue to battle the evil men that want us dead. That want Madison dead. I know. Not her per se but the idea of her. But then again they didn't seem to have an issue in killing innocent children on those planes they flew into the WTC.

If you have a few minutes take the time to watch this video. It takes a second to load but well worth the wait. I find it quite powerful. It will help to remind you not to forget.