INFINITELY MORE LOVELY

She Who Must Be Obeyed, flanked by the Mistress of Sarcasm and Elder Daughter.

Today marks the completion of yet another Trip Around the Sun for the Missus.

We’re getting to the point in life at which we don’t take those trips for granted. She Who Must Be Obeyed has already outlived her father, the legendary Billie Bob of blessèd memory, and I hope to do the same for my mother sometime in early 2013.

Nothing, however, is guaranteed, which means we have to enjoy life as it comes: the company of our family and friends, good food and drink, opportunities to teach and to learn, new experiences. And birthdays!

This whole past week has been a birthday present of sorts for the Missus. Elder Daughter has been visiting, enjoying a break from her summer on the farm and giving us ample (but never sufficient!) time to enjoy the company of both our daughters at once. She and the Mistress of Sarcasm are now enroute to the Northeast, where the Mistress will be doing a bit of reconnaissance before deciding where to settle down for the next few years.

Time is a trickster. Even as it hammers our bodies with the cumulative effects of gravity and age, it allows us to accumulate wisdom and memories, both of which can make us better, more fully realized human beings. In the case of the Missus, Time is graciously minimizing the effects of the former two while allowing the latter two free rein. The SWMBO of today is, in my eyes, infinitely more lovely than any earlier version of herself. She, being modest, would no doubt disagree - and she is, after all, entitled to her opinion, no matter how ridiculous it may be.

Happy birthday, my love - may it bring a year of health and happiness without any limit to any good thing, and may there be many, many more to come... with me around to enjoy them with you, of course!