Happy Birthday Violette

Sushi Girl

My daughter, Violette, is 10 years old today. I’m not with her right now to celebrate, because I’m up in Canada, but we celebrated a bit early. But today is the big day, and I wanted to mark it.

The best parts of knowing Violette is that she is a very accomplished manga artist. She is very funny. Her sense of humor is equal parts sublime like a British comic and also outrageous like Andy Kaufman. She is a daring foodie, and eats all kinds of interesting and fun things like sushi and vegetables, and all kinds of foods I don’t predict many 10-year-olds are into.

She loves reading and reads very fast. I’ve seen her finish a book and a half in a single day, and I’m talking chapter books here.

Violette, when you get to be 18, I hope you look back and think about the good stuff, the bad stuff, the weird stuff of this year and your 10 years so far, and realize that you are loved, that you have a voice in the process, and that you’re going to do and be so much on this planet. I love you.

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  • Hawcokat

    One day out of the year. One. And you are not here again. DVD players break. iPods become obsolete. It’s the fact that you never bothered to be there on her birthday that she will remember. Your fans will tell you it’s okay, it happens. Ask her in 10 years if she agrees.

    • Stormy

      Wow!  Really?  Fans (and any reasonable, realistic parent) will tell you it’s OK and it happens… Violette sounds like an amazing, well-adjusted 10 year old.  I wish her a happy, happy birthday.  From where I sit, it sounds like she is loved and appreciated.  And, her father gave her one gift her friends have probably never received…  a public declaration of love that countless thousands of people in North America will see and appreciate.

    • Mary Ulrich

      How in the world could you read this loving birthday tribute and say the above? Love is every day. If Violette and Dad are okay with this, why would you think you can judge them?

      • Katrina brogan

        Because I’m her Mama. And this time I guess I couldnt just sit down and shut up. like I’m told to.

  • Eric

    Birthdays are such a great time to celebrate your family and make it all about them. They need these moments as much as they need food and oxygen.

    Happy Birthday Violette, I hope you enjoy your very special day!

  • http://twitter.com/3arn Abdul Rehman Agha

    Happy birthday to your daughter, although I’m sure she’d be more happy if you were there to celebrate it with her. :)

  • RamonLucha

    Happy birthday, Violette! Otanjōbiomedetōgozaimasu!

  • Jacqueline Carly

    HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY, VIOLETTE!!! GIANT HUGS!!! XOXO

  • Scurrior

    Happy happy birthday, happy birthday, happy birthday, haaapppy happy birthday happy birthday to you! (and that the truth)

    Well done dad … (that’s the truth too)

    Sheldon 

  • http://www.devinx.com/ Devinx

    Happy B-day, I am sure she would have loved Victoria :D

  • Cathie_Guthrie

    Violette will be very pleased to be honoured in this way – one of the ways you have chosen to celebrate her special day.  The other, of course, came as an advance, in anticipation of your absence, allowing her to extend her special day over many days. In our family, we spend an entire week in celebration of our Birthdays. This is not unusual in some families-  to accommodate special remembrances or one another’s availability.  Children are amazingly resilient. It is important that they know they are loved. Chris, you have done a great job demonstrating this to your Violette.

  • Lucy

    Best wishes to Violette as she celebrates her birthday. And Happy Parent’s Day Chris.

  • Elsa Aaron

    Happy Birthday, Violette.
    What a lovely gift this tribute is! I love to read too and my gift to you is a  list of some of the  books I enjoyed as a child and still re-read many decades later.
     
    Charlotte’s Web
    The Lion, the witch and the wardrobe
    Harriet the spy
    A girl called disaster
    The secret garden
    Are you there, God it’s me Margaret
    A tree grows in Brooklyn (maybe for when you are twelve, which is when I read it and I still read  it now and then these many years later.
     
    I wish you many Blessings
     

  • http://bit.ly/ayeen8 Ayeen Benoza

    Happy Birthday Violette! May you be showered with blessing always and all your loved ones!

  • Ron

    Happy Birthday Violette!  Enjoy your day and this special tribute from your Dad!
    What a great gift in itself!  Read on and have fun!

  • Rosalind Gardner

    What a pretty name for such a pretty young lady. Have a very happy birthday, Violette! :-)

  • http://www.creativethinkinghub.com/ Jim Connolly

    Nice touch, Chris.

    The most sincere post I’ve I read this week. I hope your beautiful little girl has a great day!

    Love and light!

  • http://markharai.com Mark Harai

    Awesomeness Chris!

    Happy Birthday Violet!

    In the words of Jim Connolly,

    Love and light!

     

  • Stu Langley

    Happy birthday,  Violette.  With your dad up in Canada and it being your birthday-  this is your chance to think up some memorable mischief… 

  • http://www.TheIntegrityTeam.net Gwen Daubenmeyer

    Ok, so now I’m a fan. Your other stuff is so/so. lol.

  • http://hajrakvetches.com Hajra

    Happy Birthday to the lil lady! 

  • Mary Ulrich

    Very very sweet. What a loving birthday card. Happy Birthday Violette.

  • Tom

    Happy Birthday Violette!

    Tom

  • http://twitter.com/BancodeImagenes BancodeImagenes

    Happy Birthday Violette! God bless you forever. Thank you Chris for everything i have received. 

  • http://www.danieldecker.net/ Daniel Decker

    I love that you made this post and respect you even more for doing so.  Violette, if you read these comments, Happy Birthday!

  • http://raulcolon.net/ Raul Colon

    My best wishes to Violette glad you where able to celebrate it last week! 

  • http://www.boydjane.ca/ Jane Boyd

    I hope Violette had a wonderful birthday.  I know how much she is loved by you and your whole family.  Every day you give her a very important gift – the message that growing up to be yourself is what ultimately matters the most. You are a true example of that – both to her and to those of us who continue to  learn from you each and every day. You are a great Dad Chris. It shines through on so many levels.  

  • Stevenkanarian

    Chris, 
    I heard you speak at Blog World Expo (3rd row on right, 2nd table, LOL) I like your suggestion to write from photos.  Hers one for you- write from your kids questions, they ask the most basic questions that start great blogposts.   Thanks for sharing tips.

  • http://twitter.com/AlGetler Al Getler

     Happy Birthday, Violette.  I wonder from where that sense of adventure and humor derives? Even though Dad can’t be with you, one thing is clear. He is a big fan!

  • http://twitter.com/Mompreneurmogul Lisa Cash Hanson

    This is really precious. My daughter is 14 months- being a parent is better then the “best marketing day”.

  • http://twitter.com/CopyByTom Tom Southern

    Beautiful! A little choked after reading it. There may come a time when this sentiment escapes you sometimes, Violette, but there will also be a time when it will mean everything. 

    Thanks Chris.

  • Mohamed Semeunacte

    Happy birthday Violette, your Dad just made me full of remorse for getting angry at my 3 years old son, but that’s done, just like your Dad sometimes we just have to stick to what we said (even knowing we were a bit wrong :)

    Bon Anniversaire à toi Violette, prends soin de toi et de ton Pickachu :-)

  • http://www.davedelaney.me/ Dave Delaney

    Happy birthday Violette!

  • Melonie Dodaro

    This really touched all the
    right emotional chords!  What a great way
    to bridge the gap between you and your daughter.  I know for sure that this will make her more
    proud to be your daughter.  Happy
    birthday, Violette!

  • Steve Bogan

    Afterwards: Chris, Diane, Harold and I celebrated her birthday early and had a great time doing so. Violette is a “great” granddaughter, full of adventure. Just fun to be with. We had a great time at lunch. Violette enjoyed clothes shopping in Newburyport MA. 

    It was nice to have some quality time. 

    Diane and I were even more fortunate to actually have her and her brother Harold at our house on her actual birthday. Diane baked a cake and Violette and Katrinia decorated it. Harold got to eat some of the cake and had his favorite ice cream. So in a way, we got to celebrate Violette’s birthday all week.

    • Steve Bogan

      She and Diane did the shopping routine by going into interesting store. Violette did not purchase anything but had fun with “grandma”.

  • Teresa

    I’m actually sorry I missed the day, but wanted to say Happy (belated) Birthday Violette.  May you have a wonderful year filled with love and creativity and new interesting things to try for the first time.  Have a beautiful summer too.