Today is a day of celebration!!

My niece Megan is celebrating her 8th birthday today. It blows my mind to realize how quickly she is growing up. The first time I met Megan, I was on the east coast for a business trip, and Megan and her family were living in West Virginia at the time. After my business was completed, I had a couple of days of vacation time added on, and Megan, and her mom and dad came and picked me up from near Washington DC and we made the drive all the way back to their place, which if I remember correctly was REALLY QUITE A DRIVE!

The first time I saw her, I think she might have just turned one. At the time, I was really, REALLY afraid of babies, and I was TERRIFIED of BREAKING HER, so I had told myself before they had picked me up that I was not going to hold her, just in case I might accidentally hurt her!! Well, the car that we were traveling in was really small, and because Megan’s car seat was buckled into the middle seat belt, I ended up with this very tight spot wedged between the car seat and the car door. After I wedged myself in, I just couldn’t stop staring at Megan in awe. Here was this tiny baby, with pudgy cheeks, and arms, baby blond frizzy hair, rosy cheeks, and all she could seem to do was stare at me back,  with her quizzical stare (the one that she still has whenever she is busy people-watching) as if she were saying, “Who are you?” Well, part-way through the drive to their house, I had managed to stop gawking at her like some crazy person, and I had turned away to watch the passing scenery. I felt this tiny warm little hand grasp the end of my first finger. Shocked, I looked back at her, not sure what to do, and as she smiled so sweetly up at me, I smiled back at her, and I could just feel everything that she was thinking without her even able to utter a word – joy, curiosity, love, happiness, peace, trust. WHAT A MOMENT! LITERALLY, one of the BEST MOMENTS OF MY LIFE!! I TOTALLY melted! I know, without a doubt, that was the exact moment that I fell in love with her and knew that we would always be close – even living almost 3,000 miles away from each other, at the time. I broke my oath to myself about not holding babies, that day. AS SOON AS WE GOT OUT OF THE CAR!! I NEVER WANTED TO PUT HER DOWN!!! I was even trying to figure out a way to sneak her into my pocket so I could sneak her on the plane and she could go back home with me to Salem!! LOL! 😉

I still well up with tears thinking about our first MAGICAL encounter, I am just SO IN LOVE with that sweet little Megan of mine, and the sweet Megan who is still so curious even as she grows a year older little by little! She now lives in Salem, matter of fact, only about 10 minutes away from me, and I am thankful that we still remain close!!

Megan,
I am so thankful that God gifted you into my life,
and I am SO VERY HAPPY we get to celebrate your 8th birthday today!!!
I wish you a long, joyous, healthy, and successful life –
YOU DESERVE TO HAVE THE VERY BEST!!!
I love you, Miss Megan!!! 😉

and to the rest of you…

Have a FABULOUS day!!! 😉