April 5, 2004

Happy Birthday, Tayler!

Yesterday was my granddaughter Tayler's birthday. She was born two years ago and has come a long way since then. She is stringing words together and has a strong sense of what she wants and who she is. When asked how old she is, she says, "Two...old."

She calls me "Pappy" and knows me best as the guy who plays music and likes to be silly. We always spend some time with the guitar, the piano, the drums, the tambourine, and the shakers.

On Saturday she may have created her first song. She strummed the mandolin, swayed and sang, "Pappy's Song...Pappy's Song..." Wow. Too sweet.

She has "toilet trained" herself with no coercion from the adults around her. She simply has come to understand that by using the toilet, she doesn't have to wear diapers—and she loves the feel of running around in her skin.

Tayler feels her body and her needs strongly and advocates for them, which is something many adults have difficulty with. She wants what she wants, and there's nothing wrong with that. When she can't have what she wants, she either chooses something else or expresses her frustration. That's okay too.

Happy Birthday Tayler—and many more to come.

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