Today is Lauren’s Birthday

Today is my wife, Lauren’s birthday. On this, her special day, I am at a client’s site in North Carolina while she stays home. She was home alone for most of the day until the kids got home from school. She tells me that she did have lunch with her friend Sandra, so at least she had some fun.

Due to a perfect storm of events, I was unable to buy her a special gift for her birthday. Yes – I suck. Since I’m not there, I can’t even take her out to dinner.  I decided to do something a little different for my lovely wife’s birthday. I decided to write this for the world to see.

My wife spends the majority of her time caring for our two daughters. She gave up a succesful career to take care of them full time, a sacrifice they are not likely to understand for many years to come. My children are both wonderful people, a fact that has a lot to do with Lauren being there for them every day.

In addition to our two girls, we also have two drooling furry beasts living in the house, neither of which I would like to add, is me.

Beast number one, Annie, was retreived from Ohio by Lauren almost a year ago. Lauren drove the 10+ hours each way to give this special girl a home. Annie has changed our lives for the better, though you’d never get me to admit it in person. Annie is pure love in a black and white fur coat, and she has infected us all with her joyful, naughty ways. Annie has even made me a better writer. I didn’t want another dog. I wasn’t ready. Lauren knew that I was, so she brought Annie into our home. She was right.

Guinness – beast number two – is the great protector. Lauren found him through a local rescue organization. He needed saving, and Lauren saved him, simple as that. Guinness is now learning his way around a house with children that he can play with. He’s learning to enjoy having his belly scritched, and he’s learning that the woods outside the fence are rife with zombies. At least we think they’re zombies. These zombies are rightfully scared away by his thunderous – and frequent – barking, so we haven’t ever seen them. They must be there though. What else could it be?

Lauren makes every day better for everyone around her. She has made my entire life better. If not for Lauren I’d probably still be living in a crummy little apartment eating Dominoes pizza every night… and morning.

If not for Lauren, Annie and Guinness would be living very different lives. I’m pretty sure they like their lives. Lauren gives them tasty marrow bones almost every night. What could be better than that?

If not for Lauren, my kids wouldn’t be who they are, and my kids are wonderful, funny, smart, beautiful and witty – just like their Mommy.

The purpose of this entry is simply to let the world know that I love my wife. She should know that our kids love her too. The dogs adore her – and not just because she feeds them. Cozy even said it herself once.

The problem is that I can’t be home to hug and kiss my wife on her birthday. I bet though, if after reading this you went and hugged and kissed someone special to you, the collective energy of all that luvin’ would somehow make its way to Lauren. Doesn’t matter if it’s a person, a stuffed animal or a furry beast of your own. If she smiles reading this, then I will have helped make her birthday a better day. She deserves so much more, but today, words are all I have to give.

I love you Lauren.

GAD