Your Birthday, dear daughter,

Comes at a happy time.

As you stand on the threshold of adult life,

May all your fondest hopes come to be.

And to this golden rule, hold fast:

To yourself forever be true;

Never follow the crowd; walk

The narrow, calm pathway of your conscience.

For therein lies

The secret of a happy and untroubled life.

In the sometimes turbulent, adult world ahead,

Rest assured of a safe and lasting haven

In the love filled bosom of a caring family,

For in you dwell all the qualities

Ever wished for in a daughter.

                       15 September 1986

Kelechi

The little girl grows up, hour by hour,

Day by day, she grows up;

And now she is twelve! What a grand age!

Cheerful, loving and eager for life,

She looks expectantly into the future.

May the years ahead be full of exciting discoveries!

May you have the strength

And courage to live your life truly!

May your world be safe and untroubled

Loving birthday wishes, for whom?

A twelve year old as beloved as Kelechi.

                                        15 September 1986