To Chike,

On this date of birth,

Birthdays marks an important time in history,

They mark the moment when a mother

struggles to bear her child into this world,

Though painful and wearing,

When the babe is placed in the mothers arms,

And embraced snug against her bosom,

Tears of joy grace the mother's countenance.

Her heart is filled with many an emotion,

Love, jubilance, awe, wonder, caring, worry, dread, and most of all joy

At that instance she sees all that her child can be,

What he or she may become,

And though she knows at times her child will stumble,

She also knows that her child will rise again and grow stronger,

Chike

As you grow into the man your mother envisioned,

My wish for you on this day is that

May your heart be filled with joy

Just like your mother's the day you were born,

And may the thoughts and words spoken in your mind,

Be the dreams and wishes you have for a better tomorrow.

May you grow to see those wishes in fruition.

May you see the possible in the impossible.

And when at times you do stumble and find it hard to rise,

May you find strength in those around you and get up.

When the storm rises, may you rise up and fight,

Chike

Just like your mother is proud of whom you've become,

So am I.

You are an indispensable friend whom I will always cherish.

Your kindness and unselfishness are a bright spot on even the dreariest of days,

And though at times we have our disagreements,

Remember these quotes

"When I disagree with a rational man, I let reality be our final arbiter; if I am right, he will learn; if I am wrong, I will; one of us will win, but both will profit."

~Ayn Rand

"Honest disagreement is often a good sign of progress."

~Mahatma Gandhi

And finally last but not least,

Though we may not see eachother,

Chike, I wish you a very happy birthday.