Happy 25th, dear daughter

/ April 12, 2015

My smart and beautiful daughter Elisabeth looked comfortable turning 25.

I asked her if this was the birthday that made her feel older, and she just shrugged her shoulders.

Good for her.

She doesn't look a day over 24.

She doesn’t look a day over 24.

On the 20-mile drive from the Little Bitty to the beautiful Brae Loch Inn in scenic Cazenovia to meet Elisabeth and her terrific boyfriend George for brunch today, my dear wife Karen mentioned how she recalled that 25 had been a round number that had affected her back in the day. I, too, remembered how reaching a quarter special had felt different from the big days that had come before it.

George and his girl.

George and his girl.

Elisabeth’s birthday proper was Saturday, and she and George told of how they’d had a fiesta at her mother’s house, complete with a pinata and alcohol-less sangria. It sounded perfect for her two nephews and niece there with older siblings April and Steven. It sounded as if she’d had a great party.

So we continued her birthweekend with the big combo breakfast and lunch in the downstairs of the Scottish Inn just off Cazenovia Lake. For the record, I had: Eggs Benedict, two sausage links, bacon and a waffle for the breakfast plate. Carved roast beef, leaf salad and fruit salad for the lunch plate. Pumpkin bread for the dessert plate. Coffee and water for the beverages. (It’s 4 p.m. now, we did our weekly food shopping and walked Ellie B aka Dogamous Pyle after getting back to the Little Bitty, and I’m still full.)

Pretty Inn outside.

Pretty Inn outside.

We talked about how her clinical is going so far at St. Joe’s. She’s had to tell patients just out of surgery who they’ll start their physical therapy and why they’ll be doing the particular exercises, over and over again, she said. And we made more plans about the trip we’ll all be taking together at the end of July to Denver, for Karen’s family reunion. Elisabeth may not feel older, but she’s acting her age.

Not even 1?

Not even 1?

She’s come a long way from the days she truly was my little baby girl.

I told her I’d be using a throwback picture, by the way. I think I picked a great one.

Have you celebrated a round-number birthday of late, and did it make you feel older? Do you remember if reaching a quarter-century made you feel like it was a milestone? Is brunch to you breakfast, lunch or both

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63 thoughts on “Happy 25th, dear daughter”

  4. Elisabeth is a dear from beginning to now ❤ I do recall turning 25 (married, earning an MPA, hoping for children.) I was comfortable in my skin yet knew there was much more growth for me to come. Little did I know that having my first baby would bring me to my knees very soon 😀

    And yes, I turned a half-century recently and had a blast with it! Turning 50 was much more fun! Like your family, we celebrate birthdays over days, sometimes weeks! So we had lots of celebrating with my favorite being this. I chose to make my women friends and old school, east coast, Italian feast! My men dressed formally and served us. It is a memory for a lifetime! Like the one you gave your daughter for her 25th ❤

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    • Great Family style 50th dinner, Angie McFly!! I will picture the soundtrack from a certain hit series of movies to go with it when I think of you and your ladies getting served by your dressed up men, Italian style. Da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da … Perfect half-century after what brought you to your knees 25 years earlier, I’d say, my friend. Time flies, now, right? Elisabeth will find out year by year by year. ❤

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  5. I think YOU”RE the “big softy,” not the dog in the book. 🙂 I remember feeling old at 25, thinking I should be married with kids by now. Oh, the pressures. Glad she is moving along in her career.

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  9. Happy Birthday Elizabeth! I love the throwback picture you chose Mark. Tell me…how is it that we both have daughters in their 20s. Where did the time go? I can remember being 25. I can remember the birthday card my mom sent me in which she wrote, “… a quarter of a century. By the time I was your age, I had two kids. When can I expect grandchildren?”

    Glad you enjoyed a fun day with family and hope you have a blast when you all go to Denver! ❤
    Diana xo

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  10. Happy Birthday to your daughter. I hardly remember my 25th birthday. I do remember an old song by Phil Ochs (?) One memorable line was “I’m a quarter of a century old and a half a century high.” Of course that was a long time ago. So once again best wishes to your daughter

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  11. she is a doll and i’m glad you had the chance to celebrate her birthday weekend with her. the food sounded great and i am a fan of brunch too. i consider it both meals )

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  13. We rushed out of church this morning to get to a dental appointment I had. (Just a crown) But at the dentist’s I waited almost two hours to get into the chair! Argh! So, by the time we got to Cracker Barrel, we were well into “late lunch” area!
    That being said, I’m glad I am stuffed full while reading this post, because otherwise, I’d probably be drooling!
    Twenty-five felt really grown up to me. I remember thinking that 25 ended the co-ed era, and was specifically adult. When I turned 30, I was all-ablur with babies, so I didn’t think much about it. When I turned 40, I thought, Oh Good! 40 is REALLY grown up! lol — I can’t lie, I’m looking forward to 50 😀

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    • What dentist is open on a Sunday, Joey? I don’t know whether to bow to them for decency or report the practice for cruel and inhuman punishment!

      I love Cracker Barrel. Great downhome food. I can eat their breakfast plates at any time of the day, by the way.

      I like your female take on the round years, Joey. They all make sense. Fifty-and-up have been pretty OK for this guy, between you and me.

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      • I go to Immediadent. I kinda stumbled into it, because when we moved back to Indy, we knew we didn’t want to go to our old dentist (per our dentist in Georgia’s opinion of his work.) I got referred to Immediadent and I LOVE IT! I don’t usually have to wait like that. I had no idea that those emergency dental care places were full-service dentistry. Our whole family goes there. It’s clean and kind, and cheaper than I’ve ever had.
        I always eat the Old Timer’s breakfast plate. Savory goodness 🙂

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    • You just turned 25 a short while ago, so you remember quite well, right, Donna. 🙂 Your son will be up there before you know it, though. It goes very fast. She had a great birthweekend! Thank you.

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  17. You did pick a great throwback picture, Mark. An alert, smart, cute little girl, and now a smart and cute woman with a great career (and I like her coordinated taste in clothes : ).

    Happy Belated Birthday, Elisabeth!

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  18. Happy Birthday, Elisabeth. What a treat to celebrate with your family at Brae Loch Inn. It’s been years since I’ve been there. Mark, your brunch sounds wonderful. Especially the pumpkin bread. They do grow up too fast. 😉

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  19. What a beautiful daughter. I feel your love right through the old computer screen here! I am so excited for her to get her nursing license. Way to go and Happy Birthday! 25 is fabulous! ❤

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    • She is a great daughter, Colleen. Thank you! And after next school year and a summer internship, she will get her state license to become a physical therapist assistant. That’s her dream job now; she’s been working administration at an orthopedic practice since getting her bachelor’s in biology. This is an exciting step for her. 🙂 ❤ 25 will be fabulous, I'll pass your word along, my friend.

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  21. Happy 25th to Elisabeth. It’s a good age to be! 🙂 Adorable throwback pic, too!

    And to answer your questions: hitting quarter of a century didn’t send me into a panic either but for some reason turning 27 did (I don’t know why?) and Bruch in my eyes is; breakfast meets lunch.

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  22. I need to add since you asked this question, I will turn 60 later this year and I admit this sounds a little old, Mark!
    I liked the nearly one year old photo of your baby girl, she will always be a gem or jewel to you and Karen!
    Also, George and Elisabeth in their outdoor photo and restaurant photo look very good together.

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    • So, 60, Robin. That is a very round number! I admit it will make me think twice the day I get there in 2017.

      Elisabeth was a cutie little one, yes she was. And now she and George make quite a good-looking couple, I agree. 🙂

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  24. Happy #25 Birthday, dear Elisabeth! I am so glad you have found a great job and have the best possible in family, too. I think 30 may be the one which may make you feel a little older, but don’t let it that one bother you, keep on going past 90!!

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