Oma!

One enduring and wonderful fact about the family you have joined is this:

You have a profusion of grandparents.

To make naming all of them simpler, your Dutch family is easily identified by their Dutch names! And this special lady is your Oma! Today is her birthday and I would like to tell you a bit of what I know about her!

Most importantly, you love her! You love her in a way that is really unique to her. You waved to her first. Your first sounds sounded like "Oma." You laugh every time you see her.

And while some parenting experts will blame all of the above on baby gas pains, I like to think it's because of something I call the "Grandparent's Genius". The "genius" involved is something your Oma has in droves: the knowledge that her primary job as an Oma is to make you laugh, wave, and babble. Omas have the best job because (a) it's one they have done before, (b) it's one they did a long time ago and that they miss, and (c) it's one that's impossible to screw up. Your mother and I are the ones responsible for making all the mistakes and Oma is the one responsible for making you laugh, wave, and babble. There are very few unsightly diapers, arguments about curfew, and no university bills to pay. There gets to be just laughter, waving, and babbles.

Your Oma knows this and loves this. She gets to come see her own little girl and to play with her darling granddaughter as long as she wants and then, when she feels like stretching her legs, she can walk through the park and try to find a place that will let her drink a beer in the sunlight (which are few and far between in our current location...though this rarely stops your crafty Oma...the "Grandparent Genius" also involves knowledge that cops rarely hassle Omas about sneaking a sip of beer here or there).

Your Oma has been there since your first breaths and blinks. Already, she has wiped your runny noses and played with you on the beach. She has rocked you to sleep and comforted your parents when they needed it too. She is here to laugh, wave, and babble with you and she loves you too.

Happy Birthday, Oma!