SPRING

MY LITTLE FRITH.. SOON YOU WILL BE ONE WHOLE YEAR OLD.

YOU WERE BORN ON A COLD DAWN IN THE DEAD OF WINTER - YOU SEEMED TO GROW IN HARMONY WITH THE COMING OF SPRING. WHEN YOU WERE THREE MONTHS OLD, THE TREE OUTSIDE OUR BEDROOM WINDOW BEGAN TO COME INTO BUD. EVERY MORNING I'D SING TO YOU, AND TOGETHER WE'D LOOK AT THE BRANCHES, EACH DAY A LITTLE HEAVIER, MOVING GENTLY IN THE WARM MORNING BREEZE AGAINST THEIR BACKDROP OF CLEAR BLUE SKY. EVERY MORNING YOU'D BE JUST THAT LITTLE BIT MORE GROWN UP, AND EVERY MORNING THE LEAVES WOULD BE JUST THAT LITTLE BIT BIGGER.

THE CYCLE OF LIFE CONTINUES, MY SWEET BABY. LEAVES HAVE BEEN TURNING ORANGE AND FALLING OFF TREES IN DROVES ALL OVER OUR LITTLE VALLEY TOWN. OUR TREE HELD OUT LONGER THAN THE REST, BUT YESTERDAY THERE WERE LEAVES ON THE GROUND. I SHIVERED WHEN I SAW THEM; THIS TIME OF YEAR HAS ALWAYS BEEN SO DIFFICULT AND I'VE ALWAYS HAD TROUBLE WITH THIS INEVITABLE SIGN OF THE COMING OF WINTER.

THIS YEAR IS DIFFERENT. THIS YEAR THERE IS YOU, MY BEAUTIFUL GIRL. THIS YEAR, AND FOR EVERY WINTER TO COME, YOU'LL BE HERE TO REMIND US THAT SPRING WILL COME, AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN. WITH THE LIGHT OF EVERY DAWN, THERE IS YOU - AND LIFE RENEWS ITSELF.