Celebrating a Gift

Today is our daughter, Erica Gayle’s birthday. She was born at 5:30AM on a Sunday morning in 1972. Richard and I had recently bought a piece of property in Dix Hills on Long Island. Richard, Elisa, and I were spending every weekend at my parent’s house in South Huntington. We lived in West Hempstead. During the week Richie commuted to NYC and was all consumed on the weekends and most evenings with the construction of our first home. We were building an extensive addition to a small cottage which was present on the property which we purchased.

My parents had just returned from a wonderful trip to my Dad’s birthplace in Flekkefjord Norway. When I went into labor, my Mom and Dad were there to take care of Elisa and they were there for Erica and me when we were discharged from Syosset Hospital. Life was busy and we were so very blessed. Today, the memories of this day and this time in our lives played in my mind all day long.

Erica was a beautiful child and has become such a beautiful young woman; a daughter, a wife, a mother, a teacher, and a special friend to so many. I have always stressed that external beauty is a gift from God but internal beauty results from the development of our character and who we are on the inside. Erica is beautiful on the inside and the outside. She knows and loves the Lord. This love shines through her life.

We celebrated Erica’s birthday this evening. Richard and I and our family; Erica, Trevor, Trevor, Hunter, Christa and Kris went out to eat at a local restaurant. I look forward to the times when we can all be together. They give me such happiness. They are my legacy. They light up my life.

I want to share with you the words on the Birthday card which we gave to Erica. It is a special birthday message to a daughter by Emily Matthews.

“If” for a daughter says:
If you can value truth above approval,
And friendship over beauty, wealth, or fame,
If you can share your gifts and talents wisely,
Leaving someone better off than when you came,
If you find happiness in simple pleasures,
And see the rainbow, not the falling rain,
If you have faith to keep right on believing in miracles that no one can explain,
If you look until you see the good in others and keep your spirit honest, true, and free,
Then you’ll be, not just happy and successful, but the woman only you were meant to be.

The verse on the card goes on to say:
If you could see all the flowers in the world,
If you could hear all the laughter in the universe,
If you could make all the dreams that were ever wished come true,
Then you would know a little part of the joy of having and loving a daughter like you.

Happy Birthday Erica, and
Thank you Lord for our daughter Erica, on this her birthday, and always.