Happy Birthday to Elsa

Elsa,

As of right now, you are about one year and five minutes old. Happy birthday, little girl!

I have not been a perfect daddy for your first year, and I probably never will be a perfect daddy. Daddies are rarely perfect, of course, but I hope to be at least a little more perfect every year. You do deserve a perfect daddy. Maybe someday I'll be as good a daddy as your mommy is a good mommy. That will be a tall order, as you have a very good mommy. Except for a sliver of time on Sunday mornings when you and I read (or rip up, as the case may be) the newspaper, your mommy takes care of you 24 hours a day.

I have been looking and looking and looking at the picture of us sitting on the blanket in our backyard, watching the charity golf outing of the 1982 Brewers. The picture is one of my favorites, even though your pretty face isn't visible. I enjoyed telling you and your mommy about the 1982 Brewers. I hope that we are always able to sit down together and talk about things--silly things (like the 1982 Brewers) and important things (like the current Brewers). I want to be able to tell you about things I know about (which admittedly is not much--mainly tennis, baseball, beer and Germany). Likewise, I want you to be able to tell me about things you know about (hopefully you'll have more divergent interests than I do). Maybe we can even learn about things together. In any event, I look at that picture of us sitting there, under the nice weather, with not a care in the world, just spending time together and having fun. I hope we do that often throughout the years--me and my friend Elsa.

I have taken to calling you ElsaFriend, because (1) your name is Elsa and (2) you are indeed my friend. When you smile, it makes me smile. When you laugh, it makes me laugh. When you point at me and say "Dad!"; when we play "ball" together; when you manage to get onto your belly from a sitting position; and when you scooch around on your belly--it all makes me so proud that I am your daddy. And most of all, when you give me a kiss, it makes me so happy, deliriously happy.

I love you more and more each day, and you deserve it. Happy First Birthday, ElsaFriend--you're the best.

Love,
Daddy