E-Happy Birthday Molly

I try to avoid cliches when I can but it is often difficult with parenthood......mostly because the truisms around raising kids feel so real. They really do grow up so fast! I guess it's not so much the speed at which the kids change that makes it seem this way........ but more that there are so many other things going on in our lives, that the changes just slowly creep up on us unnoticed. It was 5 years ago that Molly came into the world. It started so peacefully, in a warm tub with soothing music playing. It ended much more traumatically, with Molly's head being forcefully tugged on by a very strong suction cup vacuum.

We have had many people comment to us that our kids are very relaxed and easy to deal with. I can credit this fully to the example that Les has set for them to follow. The fact that she was able to deal with this incredibly intense event (read: vast understatement) with such a calm, stoic nature, pretty much says it all about Les' capacity for peace, love and finding the best in all situations life can throw at her. Even though she experienced something I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy (full disclosure: there are a couple of basketball team managers in Europe who I might consider in my darker moments) Les never let anger, fear or resentment enter her being. Instead she picked up the little crying baby, gave it a big hug and started saying those soothing words I have since heard thousands of times from her. She somehow knew exactly what to do.

It's Molly's 5th birthday tomorrow. She is a sweet, caring, thoughtful, funny, gentle girl who I am proud to have as my daughter. However, so much of who Molly is comes from her Mom and the example she continues to set every day. Happy birthday to Molly and to her mother.

P.S. Apologies to any expectant mothers or ones considering it in the future, but I do have one more noteworthy observation to make for the sake full disclosure. Perhaps it is Les' dark side revealing itself, or perhaps just her entitlement but.....every time we drive past BC Women's Hospital Les does a little happy dance and sings "I'm not in labour, I'm not in labour". I guess after having 3 kids without any pain killers and virtually no complaints, she is entitled to her moment of pain free glee.