Today is the birthday of my oldest child, Sarah, who was born in 1982. Even as a newborn, Sarah displayed the characteristics that define who she is at her core. She was alert, attentive, and peaceful. Sarah came out of the womb, looked around the room, and proclaimed, “Ah-Ow.” Rather than cry, she elected instead to simply let us know that she was here at last and the world looked interesting. The “Buddha baby” was the nickname given to her by my best friend Patricia, and Sarah’s calm demeanor has been a salient part of her personality ever since.

Sarah is smart, sensitive, loyal, caring, and giving. She is a devoted mother to her children, a fine partner to her husband, an empathic physician, a wonderful sister, and a loving daughter. She has a wicked sense of humor, a strong sense of self, and great taste in music. She also prefers a small group of very close friends to a larger group of not-so-close acquaintances.

In other words, she brings her A-game to whatever she does, and she does a lot.

I’m proud to be her mother.

Happy birthday, honey. I love you very much.