Daddy's Little Girl

    You're the end of the rainbow, my pot of gold

    You're Daddy's Little Girl to have and to hold

    A precious gem is what you are

    You're Mommy's bright and shining star.....

So goes the song originally sung by The Mills Brothers but sung by me to my little girl many times.  When Lisa was a little girl, I would be playing the piano and she would come into the room and tell me to play "Daddy's Little Girl" for her....and I always did!

Today is a special Birthday for my little girl...Lisa turns 50 today!  Am I really old enough to have a 50 year old daughter?  It seems only yesterday that she was born.  The morning of July 12, 1974 started very early when Connie got up at around 5 AM to go the bathroom...not an unusual event for her as she was entering her ninth month of pregnancy,  She came out of the bathroom and said..."I am still leaking!"  I told her to go back to bed because it can't be that your water broke...the baby is not due for another 3 weeks!

Of course, I was wrong.  Lisa, foreshadowing her whole life, was in a big hurry to come into the world. Although right before the birth the Doctor told me to call the Moyel, that he was certain it was a boy, Lisa arrived feet first and was the funniest looking boy I had ever seen!  All 5 pounds of girl and the most beautiful thing I had ever seen!  Being the first grandchild for both sides only added to the excitement that the baby was a girl!

I have often said that I grew up with Lisa.  As a matter of fact, Connie and I were only 23 year old when she was born.  So, yep, we both grew up with her!  She went just about everywhere with us, but loved to stay with Grandma and Poppi whenever she could.  My Dad would show up at our little 2 bedroom apartment on many Friday afternoons and "steal" her for the weekend.  What fun for her (and us too!).

Fiercely independent, smart, and active defined her early childhood and beyond.  She endured our moving around to Boston when she was 9 and to Florida when she was 13 but thrived nonetheless.  Her adventures continued though throughout her first 50 years...High School in Israel, University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Semester at Sea, University of Colorado, back to Ann Arbor, Aspen, Zimbabwe, back to Aspen, Boulder, University of Denver and now a Mom herself to her's and Scott's mini-me in Denver!  Mara is definitely her Mother's daughter.  When she rolls her eyes at my bad jokes, I could swear it is Lisa all over again.  I have to admit that I have lived vicariously through Lisa's many adventures.

To say I am proud of my daughter would be an obvious understatement.  Happy 50th Birthday, Lisa Michele Cohen.  Keep being you for at least another 50!  I Love Daddy's Little Girl!

And The Journey continues......