My Mom always said that the first child is the toughest. And (once again) Mom was right! I don’t know if the first-born has to be tough because they’re breaking in Mom and Dad, or if they become tough while Mom and Dad are learning how to be parents. Either way, Sarah’s a very tough person! She takes things on the chin, and keeps going without a hitch.

Honestly, I have no idea how Sarah lived through my mothering! I ate the wrong foods while she was a nursing baby, and gave her tremendous stomach aches. I supplemented the wrong stuff in her bottle, and gave her tremendous stomach aches. Then when she was on solid food I fed her the wrong foods and gave her tremendous stomach aches! (Do you see a pattern here?) I put the wrong clothes on her during summer, and she got so hot that she cried. Then in the fall I didn’t put enough clothes on her, and another mother had to tell me to put a hat on her. (I had no idea that Sarah’s ears were red because they were cold!) And the list could go on for a very long time…. the things that I should have known to do I didn’t do. And the stuff that I did know about I decided she didn’t need. I should have hugged more and scolded less. Even today I think of all the things I would do differently if only I could go back. Yet somehow Sarah survived.

Despite me, Sarah has not only survived, she has thrived! She has overcome the tragic loss of her father without bitterness. She wants to serve Jesus, and in her deepest, darkest hours she has continued to cling to His unchanging hand. She is kind, gentle, caring and generous. I don’t deserve her loving care and her deep concern for my well-being. I have apologized for the many ways I have failed her, and she has not only forgiven me, but also refused to hold a grudge!

Six years ago, (three years after Sarah’s father was killed) she met an engineer who fell head-over-heels in love with Sarah’s personality-a wonderful blend of no-nonsense, and infectious cheer. Jon was so much like my husband (Sarah’s Dad) that I was astounded at the similarities. Jon realized that if he married Sarah he wouldn’t want to leave her for weeks at a time to do construction work in other states, so he quit his electrician job to go back to school full-time. He had an engagement ring custom-designed for Sarah, but then didn’t ask her to marry him until he could fit the proposal neatly between his Calculus tests. They were married seven months later on the Coast of Maine.

Sarah has become my friend and sage advisor. (I don’t always take her advice, but she gives it anyway!) She has been the peace-maker in the midst of family conflicts, and has always been quick to help through hard times. I don’t deserve what she has become, but I thank God for His wonderful gift of this resilient, brilliant young woman! Happy Birthday, Sarah! You are God’s gift to me!