It’s a big day today. A celebration! A fest! A joyful occasion!

Today is my eldest daughter’s 28th birthday.

Imagine. Twenty-eight years ago today the world did not know of the incredible, the amazing, the supercalifragilicious Alexis.

Twenty-eight years later, she is a shining light of love and compassion in the world.

I remember the day she was born. It was sunny and bright. I was 19 days past my due date.

My doctor had been on holidays and I was not about to put myself in the care of anyone else. I also think Alexis knew it was the last time in her life she would have absolute, total control of anything and wasn’t about to let that go!

We didn’t know her gender but I didn’t want to carry her unnamed through those developmental, and vital months, so we named her Balthazar while in the womb. Balthazar was one of the 3 Kings and it seemed apropos to me for such an amazing gift of life.

I was in awe of carrying this precious life within me. To mold my body to its growing form, always leaving room for life to continue to expand, develop, grow.

As I moved. So too did she.

As I ate, so too did she.

As I breathed, so too did she.

It was a sacred journey; to bring life into form; to carry life within me; to be united in science and mystery. It is a bond that has never been broken for I am her mother; even in our darkest moments together, the love that connects us, has never, can never, be broken. For she is Love in human form. She is a gift of Love. She is of my body and though I shall never own her, she will always own part of me. She will always have my heart.

It is a celebration today. The 28th year of the wonder and awe that is my daughter Alexis.

I am blessed.

I am grateful.

I am her mother.