Lynda Dianne

Our eldest daughter is having her birthday today and we will not be there to celebrate with her. On the evening of her birth I was not there as well as I was on the parade square several miles away. Before I left home that evening I asked her Mom if she was OK and she said everything was great.

Our battalion had just formed up at the beginning of our parade when  Col. Burke called me out to come front and center and to be quick about it.As I moved to the position immediately in front of the Colonel he announced that I was about to become a father and I was to get going before I missed all the action. As I left the parade square there was a cheer from the troops and I was elated to get going to Ft. William and McKeller Hospital.

Lynda was born in the evening and her mother had a difficult first birth but we were so happy to have a healthy baby girl. Through the years her presence in our family made being a father a real treat as well as an adventure. Lynda gave us some of the most humorous incidents and serious ones as well.

As the years quickly moved on so did our relationship. Growth through understanding and trust with Lynda and all our children makes for a happy and understanding family circle. Lynda was always there for her sisters and brother and specially her Mother. Her bond with her mother gave new meaning to the word  caregiver as she and her siblings helped their mother through a medical adventure like no other.

Today as I bask here in the Florida sunshine I would trade a few of these wonderful days for a few hours with Lynda and family as she celebrates her 50-something special day.

Happy Birthday Lynda Dianne and many more.