Miranda, almost two, eating chocolate cake.
MY SECOND BORN of three, Miranda, turns 25 today.
What does a mother write about her girl that truly encompasses all her daughter has become as a young woman?
Miranda celebrates the Argentine World Cup soccer victory at Plaza de la Republica in Buenos Aires. The balloon is soccer legend Diego Maradona, at that time the coach of Argentina’s national team. She’s lived in Buenos Aires twice.
I will tell you that my dear daughter is kind and compassionate, adventuresome and fearless (except for spiders), a woman of faith, soft-spoken, yet there to speak for those whose voices need to be heard.
She works as a Spanish medical interpreter and has a heart for helping non-English speaking Hispanics in northeastern Wisconsin. It is an important job. Her ability to interpret under time and emotional pressures impresses me. She cares. Deeply.
Yet, it is that very profession which keeps my girl away from Minnesota. Because she is on call so often, including many nights, weekends and holidays, she is able to make the 5 ½-hour trip back home only several times a year. Likewise, those hours limit times my husband and I can visit our daughter.
Time with her is precious. Just like our daughter. Precious.
A photo of Miranda when she was back in Minnesota in June for her brother’s high school graduation.
Happy birthday, Miranda/Tib! We love you now and forever and miss you and if you were here, I would bake you a chocolate cake.
© Copyright 2012 Audrey Kletscher Helbling
Minnesota Prairie Roots 
A loving post! Absolutely love that first photo…LOL! I think we all have a similar treasure in an album somewhere!!! Blessings and Happy Birthday to Miranda;-D
Miranda was quite the messy eater as a wee one. But I did not care. That first pic has to be one of my favorite of her as a child.
Can understand why!!!
What a lovely birthday greeting to your daughter. The baby photo is just wonderful! May she have many, many more birthdays.
http://oneminnesotawriter.blogspot.com
Thank you for adding your birthday wishes. When growing up in southwestern Minnesota, it was customary in our extended family to celebrate birthdays together. I’m talking a small farmhouse packed with dozens of aunts and uncles and cousins and grandma. As we left, we would always say to the birthday celebrant: “Happy birthday and many more!” So your “many more” add on is quite fitting.
Beautiful tribute to your daughter on her Birthday..and a cute picture as a child and as
a grown up you can see it in her eyes and face she is a sensitive and caring person.
Thank you for sharing.
DeLores
Absolutely, Miranda is sensitive and caring and, yes, it does show in her eyes. Thanks for pointing that out.
Thanks for stopping by to comment, DeLores. How are things in Belview? I’ve been wondering how the Little Free Library has been received. In Vesta, residents have totally embraced it and the Vesta Cafe manager has added many bookshelves inside the cafe for all those books that keep coming in.
Also, I’ve heard so many good things about Grandview Valley Winery just north of Belview. I hope to check out the wine and the pizza next spring or summer.
Maybe we should get together and vsit the Winery next spring or summer.
Could take Merlin and Eyleen along too. Would be fun.
DeLores
I agree that would be fun. I want to take my mom there, too.
Beautiful – love the picture of her really getting into the chocolate cake! Happy Weekend:)
That pic is just so cute, isn’t it?
Thanks so much for the sweet bday post, Mom! From the other comments it seems a lot of people enjoyed that baby photo…lol.
You are welcome, sweetheart. And, yes, that on-your-face cake pic is quite popular. Hmmmmm, maybe I should have posted a similar cake image from last year, except I have seen no photos of that cake-in-your-face incident.
That photo of Miranda in the high chair is hysterical. Did you put her straight in the bath after that? What a beautiful daughter you have and you must be so proud of her and how she’s doing so well. What a shame you aren’t able to see her more often. I do hope she will be home for Thanksgiving xx
I don’t recall putting her in the tub, but rather scrubbing all those crumbs off her face with a washcloth. She tended to be a rather messy eater, so I was used to this.
And, no, Miranda won’t be home for Thanksgiving as she is on-call on Friday. Only our son will be here, home from college, and the other daughter will be with her boyfriend’s family. But, yeah, Miranda will be home for Christmas, her first trip back to Minnesota since July. I am so looking forward to having all three of my children, and the oldest daughter’s boyfriend, here for Christmas.
Darn those kids for growing up so fast, and then leaving us, and living so far away….. Your daughter is obviously a beautiful young lady, but it’s also evident from the things you said about her that her heart is just as beautiful! Loved the baby picture, it’s a classic. PS I’m jealous of that cool wooden highchair, was it passed down in the family?
Yeah, darn kids.
The high chair is one we purchased at a garage sale and resold at a garage sale. Now you make me think I should have kept it. Can’t save everything…
Are you sure she was eating that cake? Looks more like wearing it. Great photo. It sounds like she has turned into a fine young woman. Good job, mom!
Good point. I think some of the cake got into her mouth.
And, thank you. Miranda’s dad and I will take some credit for her turning into a fine young woman.
If she ever wants to get at least a little closer to home, tell her to check into jobs here in Wgtn. Spanish-speakers out number English speakers at the schools and I know that there are interpreter jobs available around town…though not sure what they pay, etc.
I would absolutely love to have my daughter closer to home. But she loves the Appleton metro area and I can’t see her moving to the prairie. But never say never and I will keep this in the back of my mind should I need to pull that suggestion out someday and present it to her. How close is Worthington to Sioux Falls? That may be a selling point.
It’s almost exactly one hour to Sioux Falls from here – which, yes, is nice. Sioux Falls has a lot – arts, which is fun, and stores…