Regarding Nadalene

She is the younger of my two daughters, my second child, and my awakening.

When Nadalene arrived Angelique was 23 months old and Nathan was not on the radar. Oh my God, how much we loved this little girl. A little girl who, on the day she was born, had her eyes open and could hold up her neck.

Wahid was a little disappointed because he wanted a boy. Now he would not trade her in for a million boys. She is her Dad’s girl.

Of course, eventually as all little girls tend to do, she grew up, and today she is 31 years old. I am amazed how time has sped by, because I can see her life spread out before me and it is as if the 31 years are a bolt of lightning; all of the years contained in that flash.

I am in awe of the memories I have of Nadalene. No matter how things have evolved in my life to this point, I can truly say there is so much joy. Nadalene is one of my three greatest joys.

The past and present are sitting here with me right now. I haven’t forgotten much of what it felt like back then when Nadalene was a little girl. I can’t share all of our memories right here though as many are for Nadalene and me alone. As well there are 31 years of memories and they cannot be written in a bolt of lightning like they can be looked at.

When Nadalene was a baby she was so clever that she walked at eight months old (I am not exaggerating) and toilet trained herself by a year old. There would be no stinky or wet diapers for her. On the other hand I had to wipe her bum until she started kindergarten. I can hear her now “Mom, Mom, I’m done.”

Angelique and Nadalene were and are inseparable. Angelique (loving and kind) would always allow Nadalene (loving and bossy) to be Vanna White and open the cupboard doors in their game shows. Nadalene would always be the one in my heels with a spoon (cigarette) hanging out of her mouth having everyone in the room cheering her on.

When Angelique started kindergarten, Nadalene would wait patiently for her to come home so that she could play school in the playroom with Angelique and all of her friends (do you remember this Cindy) and Nadalene would be the teacher. She wanted it and so Angelique let her be it, although in the end two of our kids would be teachers, Nadalene was not one of them.

When Nadalene came home from kindergarten she would have a million invites to play and she refused them all. I even had my lines practiced ‘No I’m sorry she cannot go play today.’ (By the way she had me saying that line up to her 20s.) I had no trouble saying those lines either because I knew that all she wanted to do was remove her leotards, get ice-cream on her TV tray, lie on her stomach, and watch Sesame Street.

Nadalene combed her Dad’s hair and curled mine on a daily basis. When she was about nine I had to join her jazz-a-size group and pay her a quarter a day for the lesson.

She was the best little sister and one of the best big sisters anyone would want. When Nathan was born, Nadalene was the one who would walk in circles for hours to get him to sleep. I gladly handed over the reigns to that five year old girl because even at five years old she knew what was what when she knew what was what.

When Nadalene was 15 years old she joined Scottish Highland Dancing and won every competition she was in. Nadalene took everything she did seriously and never wavered once she started. Nadalene has the will of 12 horses, 3 black bears, 2 unicorns and 9 butterflies.

Nadalene has had many nicknames: Nadalene the Dancing Queen; Nad the Bad; Nad; Naddie; Nadia; Nada. Nadalene has always been the queen of giving nicknames too: Pudd; Nilam; Annia; Donovan; Nathaniel or said in French Nathan; Lizzard; Kirdy; Suzanne; A.J.; and her two favourite to her two favourite people Chazz and Nugget/Nuggie.

As a woman, Nadalene is an incredible individual. She has helped me so much in so many ways.

In the beginning of this post I said that Nadalene is my awakening and in so many ways she is. Nadalene is the conscious of our home. When we want to ignore things, she just won’t let us (more relentless than a pit-bull). FIRE she roars, we say no Nad, it is just smoldering and may go out on its own. She yells a little louder and actually pokes you with the hot stick to get your attention (I did say relentless right) until you, like her, scream Fire.

Nadalene is and always has been an absolutely beautiful looking person and I wonder if that has allowed her to become who she is in some ways. Not having to let the physical get in her way she was able to focus on other things.

When Nadalene got her Masters in City Planning I joked with her about her bossing and whipping us all into shape by thinking she was the Master of the house, while now, I told her she has the papers to back it up.

Nadalene got married last year to her high school sweetheart. She works as a City Planner and is the most thoughtful person you would have the good fortune to know.

She is the younger of my two daughters, my second child, and my awakening. Nadalene thank you for the privilege.

Happy Birthday Nadalene. Love Mom, Dad, Angelique, Nathan and Josephine.