I think this is a sign of getting older, but I now have a daughter-in-law. Being the mother of two sons, I felt this day would come eventually and to be perfectly honest, I never dreaded the day, but I did think it would be later rather than sooner.
My boys are the light of my life. I have loved being a mom more than any other profession I have ever had, but both of them will tell you that I wasn't a pushover. Having been a single mom for most of their childhood, I had to be mom and dad and most of the time the disciplinarian "dad" side showed through more than the nurturing, coddling mom I would have rather been. Because we were a family of three when Daniel was 4 and Patrick was 18 months, we all sort of grew up together. I was working at Pinehurst at the Members Club and trying to keep two children in daycare and make ends meet. It was one of the hardest times of my life but in hindsight, it was one of the most precious times of my life. Because they were so young, it didn't take much to entertain them so afternoons were spent playing baseball in the front yard with a plastic bat and ball.
Now, 20 years later, they're all grown up. Daniel will be 25 in July and today is Patrick's 22nd birthday. He spent his 21st birthday in the sands of Iraq fighting for our freedom. Today, he spends his birthday in the islands of the Bahamas on his honeymoon. Happy Birthday, Patrick! My favorite Marine.
