Today is my daughter's 21st birthday. Some of you reading this entry know her personally and have watched her grow into the beautiful young woman she has become today.
Azsa is my daughter's middle name. It is my
chic spelling of the Swahili name
Asha which means
LIFE.
Last year when I was visiting her at school, me and a few of her friends went out to dinner. The conversation fell on first meetings and my daughter turned to me and asked how we first met.
I first met my daughter on a balmy Barbados evening. I was sitting on the verandah looking at the stars when the phone began to ring. I leapt from my chair and a tug in my gut nearly collapsed me. I eased myself back into the seat and gazed down at my tummy in great wonder. What the hell was that? I thought -- upon my return to the states, my question would finally be answered.
Feburary 9th is especially significant to me for a number of reasons:
1. My daughter was born on this day.
2. One of my best friends/cousin was born on this day.
3. Alice Walker was born on this day
4. 10 years ago ON THIS DAY I sent out the query letter that would garner me the agent and the book deal that started my career as an author.
February has consistently paved the way for great and beautiful things in my life.
On this special day I thought it would be fun to share a few "random" things about Ryane Azsa:
1. She says she hates when people ask her is she wants to be a writer like her mother, 'cause she doesent. Well I say hogwash to that! She has a great writing style and voice - I think she'll come around. She was adamant for years that she would never loc her hair - and now she wants to.
2. R'yane is 5'11 1/2 inches tall.
3. She favors her father so much I often wonder if I had anything to do with her conception.
4. She can back a car into a parking space like an old man with a cigarette clenched between his lips while Bobby Blue Bland wails from the 8-track player of a 68 Cadillac. I sadly, cannot do this nearly as well.
5. I offered to take her on a 3 month trip around the world after she graduated high school. This would have required her to enter college the following Spring, instead of that September. She turned me down.
6. When she walks down the street or into a room - women stop and stare - like she's and exhibit ( her words not mine)
7. Didn't start sleeping through the night until she was two years old.
8. Took her first plane trip at nine months old.
9. Never really crawled - and when she did she crawled like a cripple - it was painful to watch - she started walking at 8 months old.
10. When she was little sugar would make her ultra-hyper. On days when it was too cold to go outside my mother would sit her down at the table and give her potatoes to peel so that she could burn the energy off.
11. Never - ever asked for a baby brother or sister and scoffed whenever I suggested one.
12. R'yane went shopping (alone) for a pair sneakers. She was twelve years old. The sneakers were for camp. I told her be sure not to buy a white or light-colored pair. She came back with a white pair. So now whenever I tell her not to do something and she disobeys I scream: Its the white sneakers all over again!!!
You're welcomed to drop by and leave a birthday message on her
blog - I'm sure it will add another level of joy to this her very, special day!
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