Today, my oldest child and daughter are 13.
Claire Elizabeth is a teenager!
I often look at Claire and see myself.
It's in the freckles all over her face,
and one on her lip- like me...before the accident.
Claire is hanging on to the last dimming lights of her childhood
in a place still in make-believe but with make-up.
She is growing up beautiful. She is kind and compassionate.
She is motherly and feminine.
She is brave and strong.
She possesses a strong sense of purpose and direction,
and I am proud of her in every way.
Happy Birthday, darling Claire.
