For Ardy on her Big Day

  It's funny how time seems to get away from you, things come and go, and life does go on regardless of what goes on in the world. When we were having our deck sanded just recently I got talking to the guys doing the work, and they asked how long we had lived in this house. I had to do a little thinking and said we moved in in 1974 when Rachel was just a tiny baby, and this is 2014, so it must be almost 40 years. Gosh, it doesn't seem possible that the little girl that Jan and I took home from Waconia Ridgeview in August 1974 is turning the big 4 0 today, if you're in Japan. In between she has been all over the world, so to speak, married, brought three children into the world, and is now serving as kind of the domestic commander of the USS Curtis Wilbur, just without the classy uniform, and salutes. Someday I hope that you can look out on your family scattered across the United States, and maybe the world and be as proud of them as I am of you, and your sister, and brother. I suppose that it is the impossible dream of every parent to be able see what happens to family in the future years, but we all know what a futile desire that is. We all went to the Threshing Bee yesterday, and sat around on the driveway at twilight and got to going over the night, or early morning you were born. It's amazing how lots of details stick in your head about times like that. We were headed into the hospital at the same time as a co-worker of mine, who had had a few too many, and broken his arm playing night football, and the weather was nice too. This will be another letter in lieu of a card which can be recycled. We just want you to remember how much your Mother, and I love you, and can't wait to see you again face to face. Oh ya, Happy Birthday on this your 40th, can you believe it?