December 5: A New Lamb, Daughter's Birthday, Fairy Tale Birthday

"Springtime," said the old sheep, thoughtfully.  "Another spring."  As she walked away, Wilbur saw a new lamb following her.  It was only a few hours old.

The whole ending of Charlotte's Web is about birth and rebirth.  New lamb.  New goslings.  New spiders.  It's how E. B. White moves past the death of Charlotte to some kind of redemption and hope.  It's the cycle of the seasons.  The circle of life (cue music from The Lion King).

Today, at 7:29 a.m., my daughter turned 14 years old.  That means, in the year 2000, at this time, I was sitting in a hospital room, holding my newborn child.  I felt completely afraid.  And completely in love.

My daughter and her friend are sitting on the floor in front of me right now, watching Catching Fire, eating a hamburger pizza.  My daughter has her iPod in front of her face, texting or Snapchatting or twixting or Snapcracklepopping.  Whatever these youngsters do these days with these newfangled thingamabobs.  I feel old and still completely in love.

We took my daughter and her friend to a movie tonight.  We even sprang for V. I. P. seats.  Nice, leather, reclining sheets with enough leg room for an elephant to walk in front of us without stepping on our toes.  It was a lovely evening.

And now it's girls' night in our living room.  I'm sure, at 2 a.m., they are still going to be giggling and whispering.  I, on the other hand, plan to be long asleep by that time.  With visions of my baby girl dancing in my head.

Once upon a time, a kindly king loved his little princess so much that his heart almost couldn't hold it all.  Every day, the king watched his daughter grow.  Every night, he would watch his daughter sleep, counting each of her breaths like precious gems.

And the days, weeks, and years spun by like fine gold thread.

And the king and Saint Marty lived happily ever after.

Making a wish...