How Amazing Is She?

Alyssa in Cedar City-2005


Out my back window it looks cold, very cold. The latest snowfall has not melted much and the crust looks brittle. But my heart feels warm as I contemplate the life of my daughter Alyssa on her birthday. I have been looking through some photos of her. I love those that I have. Yet I am feeling nostalgic for the photos I didn't take as she was growing up. Taking pictures depended on whether or not we had a camera and finances. (It wasn't easy to provide for the needs of our young family.) When Alyssa was about six, my piano teacher friend, Royce, loved her new Minolta 110 camera so much that I got one for myself. Off and on, I tried to develop the habit of taking pictures. Most of those remain to be scanned into the computer, but since having a digital camera I have enjoyed taking more snapshots of our living. I like this picture of Alyssa. It reminds me of our many trips together to Cedar City to visit Aunt Fran and take in the Shakespeare festival. This trip included Heather for a girl's weekend. Great fun! The day of Alyssa's birth remains vivid in my mind. She was the first of our children to have her dad present for the actual birth. That meant a lot to me. And I remember how grateful I felt for her and humbled by another opportunity to raise a child. She has given joy to us throughout her life and has grown to be a remarkably fine woman. I love her a lot. It is easy to take people for granted. I am glad on this cold day that I can look back and realize how lucky I am to be Alyssa's mother.