Sunday, August 06, 2006

Happy birthday Lydia




It's Lydia's birthday today and now she is the grand old age of seven (although she insists that while she is seven in English, she's eight in Greek - they count age differently in Greek). It's scary how quickly the years pass. It seems like only yesterday that I was holding this tiny doll - like creature in my arms at the maternity hospital. And there she is now, tall, smart and confident, soon to enter her second year of primary school.

There is a scene in Lost in Translation in which Bob, an older, jaded Hollywood actor is explaining to Charlotte, a twenty - something would-be photographer about being a parent,

BOB - It's the most terrifying day of your life
the day the first one is born.



CHARLOTTE - Yeah. Nobody ever tells you that.



BOB - Your life,



as you know it,



is gone.



Never to return.



But they learn how to walk,
and they learn how to talk, and...



and you want to be with them.



And they turn out to be the most...



delightful people...



you will ever meet in your life.

Which just about sums up what being a parent feels like.

3 comments:

Theodora Papapanagiotou said...

Happy birthday Lydia! She definately looks like you!

melusina said...

Happy Birthday to Lydia! Χρόνια πολλά!

That seashell thing looks really cool. Is it Aphrodite?

teacher dude said...

Thanks everyone. We'll be having a party on Tuesday, 8pm-ish. Everyone is welcome. Email me for the address and details.

BTW the toy is less Aphrodite and more Barbie's Fairytopia. Still, it's a cool toy, it even blows bubbles. Eat you heart out GI Joe!