Red: As a young girl I had dreamed of marrying a redhead, and LO! You showed up and captured my heart. The first time I saw you, God spoke to me and told me that I'd marry you. You laugh, because I didn't know God at the time, but He knew us, and if He can speak to donkeys he can speak to confused teenagers as well. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.
Dog: As everyone knows, "faithful" is the natural adjective for a dog, just as "devout" goes with "Catholic", or "giant" goes with "redwood". FAITHFUL is God's banner over you, as well; it is the name that He gave you, and you are the embodiment of faithfulness.
Pirate: Pirates capture our imaginations with the adventure and romance of lives focused on making the most of the opportunities that arise. Like a pirate, you delight in wandering the seas of possibilities and discovering the treasures that are to be had with a bit of clever experimentation.
WooDY
What a propitious set of initials: WDY. It seems that your life simply conformed to the shape of your initials, first in a redwood forest, with an enterprise built around an ancient woodworking machine, then by a circuitous route through Silicon Valley to a comfy wood shop filled with sawdust and antique planes, and on down to Mexico, under a palapa, making beautiful objects to sell in a local gallery. But better yet, your passion for wood has found an outlet in teaching orphans to make and sell woodenware, giving them a skill that they'll be able to earn an income with when they're adults.
THE POET
Your poems are exquisite. Your essays are tender and funny. Your creativity is perfectly expressed in your writings, and your works are gifts eagerly looked for by those who receive them.
THE MUSICIAN
You've had that guitar longer than we've been married, and the sweetness of what emerges from the combination of you and the guitar is something that I can only hope to attain in our own relationship. You were born to worship, and you draw others to worship with you. You were born for joy, and you invite others to share the joy of music. I am blessed beyond my wildest hopes to have married a troubadour whose heart is fixed on God.
Estas son las mañanitas, que cantaba el Rey David,
Hoy por ser día de tu santo, te las cantamos a ti,
This is the morning song that King David sang
Because today is your saint's day we're singing it for you
Despierta, mi bien, despierta, mira que ya amaneció,
Ya los pajarillos cantan, la luna ya se metió.
Wake up, my dear*, wake up, look it is already dawn
The birds are already singing and the moon has set
Que linda está la mañana en que vengo a saludarte,
Venimos todos con gusto y placer a felicitarte,
How lovely is the morning in which I come to greet you
We all came with joy and pleasure to congratulate you
Ya viene amaneciendo, ya la luz del día nos dio,
Levántate de mañana, mira que ya amaneció.
The morning is coming now, the sun is giving us its light
Get up in the morning, look it is already dawn
El día en que tu naciste nacieron todas las flores
En la pila del bautismo, cantaron los ruiseñores
The day you were born all the flowers were born
On the baptismal font the nightingales sang
Quisiera ser solecito para entrar por tu ventana
y darte los buenos días acostadita en tu cama
I would like to be the sunshine to enter through your window
to wish you good morning while you're lying in your bed
Quisiera ser un San Juan, quisiera ser un San Pedro
Para venirte a cantar con la música del cielo
I would like to be a Saint John I would like to be a Saint Peter
To sing to you with the music of heaven
De las estrellas del cielo tengo que bajarte dos
una para saludarte y otra para decirte adiós
Of the stars in the sky I have to lower two for you
One with which to greet you and the other to wish you goodbye
What a beautiful tribute, and what a beautiful life!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Valerie!
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