Wednesday, December 20, 2017

Happy Birthday to a Competent Woman

My baby girl celebrates her 45th birthday today.



Of course, she's now a woman. A strong woman. A confident and competent woman.

Competent. That word jumped out at me this summer when she drove us to see the MosaiCanada display in Gatineau. Her driving was extremely competent. When roads were unexpectedly closed in this strange-to-us area and I would have been anxious, she competently found her way in and out and around with no apparent stress at all.

To call someone competent almost seems like damning with faint praise as it were, but I think it's a high compliment. I mean to say that one could go on and on with other traits such as intelligent, kind, considerate, loyal, pleasant and so on and so forth, but competent is the descriptor that has struck me lately.

This past year, she became manager of a seniors residence. This was the same residence in which she began her career as a lowly-paid bookkeeper seventeen years ago. In the intervening years her competence was recognized and prized and led to many salary increases and eventually this promotion.

After separating from her husband several years ago, she competently managed to save enough money on her single salary to take the kids on a Disney Caribbean Cruise earlier this month. I find this remarkable.

I didn't know what my child would become 45 years ago, but she has become a competent woman and admirable in many many respects.

8 comments:

Marie Smith said...

You have every reason to be proud. Oh the potential in those infant faces!

Joanne Noragon said...

Isn't it wonderful to see this has happened, seemingly with no parental input. They often blame it on us, and we can't believe they made so much of the seventeen or eighteen years they hung around.

Tabor said...

Go ahead. YOu can take some of the credit!

Mage said...

...and you love her too.
Just remember, it takes competent parents to make a competent woman.

Country Gal said...

Happy Birthday to your Daughter . It helps having wonderful parents .

troutbirder said...

Absolutely Positively No doubt about it competent. Actually and off the record I do believe she has had one big advantage. Being female helps because war mongering men have screwed up the world for centuries demonstrating women are generally more intelligent, have better value family and community values and much more. So there. Your right competent and much more..... End of rant. Ray aka Troutbirder...:)

MARY G said...

I cannot think of higher praise. My competent daughters awe me and I am impressed that you also value this trait. Well done, dad and mom.

Jenn Jilks said...

Where does the time go? I find our kids turn out bigger and better than we ever did. Mine are doing so well. Bigger and better dreams, travelers, thinkers!