Happy Birthday, Mary!

This gorgeous woman is 20 today. Yep. My sweet Mary is no longer a teenager. Fact is, she can now curse almost as well as I can. Sigh. It was truly yesterday that she looked like this:

Actually, she cursed at this age too.
Good story. I'll tell you some time.

My first attempt at writing this birthday post for Mary included the line: She's brilliant, beautiful and beloved. Then, I decided that was lovely, lame and lazy. I can do better. Let give you two quick examples why she is brilliant, beautiful and beloved:

1. When an instructor at K-State told a class -- as part of a leadership/inclusion lesson -- that he was gay, he was immediately hounded by some of the students and subjected to small-minded, "We'll pray for your salvation," responses. Mary both befriended and defended this instructor. She stepped up and let him know he was not alone -- that many students support everyone's right to be who they are and love who they love. I know, for a fact, that she was a godsend to this young man at a critical time.
2. I periodically get stressed to the max. There are times when I crack. It's not pretty. One time, not long ago, Mary sat down, looked me in the eye, and gave me a good "talking to," as my mother would say. She also wrote a note to remind me:
   Take time for yourself!
   Is it really something to get upset about?
   I keep the note on my desk. It helps. A lot.

Mary is good-hearted, funny, artistic, kind -- you get the picture. I'm very, very proud of her. Always have been. Always will be. Happy birthday, baby! (And, as you know, you will always be my baby.)