If you were born on this day...

If you were born on this day, let me tell you, you are an amazing person.

You are strong. You can take hardships. Not only do you endure them, but you thrive in them. You can look back on these times in your life as opportunities that have allowed you to grow and flourish. You can reflect on them with a smile and an engaging story.

You are patient. You can listen to the rants of the crazy people around you. Rather than argue, you laugh. Often times, you get them to laugh at themselves.

You are smart. You can fix things. You can solve things. Puzzles fascinate you, everything from sudokus to how to pack a car's trunk for a long trip. You can install the new commode, wire up the wi-fi, put up the ceiling fans, and make an amazing maggie.

You are observant. Nothing gets by you. Your keen eyes watch every word you read, catching each and every typo, misspelling, and punctuation flaw. You are often astounded that this talent is remiss in professional editors, since it comes so naturally to you.

You know where you are. Always. And you know how you got there. If you've been taken to a dinner at a restaurant in Poughkeepsie, you will forever and always remember how to find it again. Your sense of location and direction bewilder Davy Crockett.

You are clever. You spent a good portion of your life living it. You can boast having worked on tow boats as well as the tech industry. You can see every argument from every angle, and have the needed and beneficial discussions with everyone, from the IT guy, to the financial lead, to the CEO.

You are handsome. Dashing. Striking. No matter how you slice it, you are stunning to look at.

There you have it. In fact, if you are reading this, and today is your birthday, there's a good chance you're my best friend, my closet confidant, and love of my life*.

Happy Birthday.

* Unless your Michael Phelps. Nothing personal, dude ... you're not the love of my life.