“Be silly. 
Be honest. 
Be kind.” 
Ralph Waldo Emerson

On June 4, 1958, I celebrated my fourth birthday. I have no recollection of this day, nor of any celebration which might have been held. There is no doubt in my mind that my parents acknowledged my fourth birthday in some way. I just don’t remember anything about it. By the time I turned four, I was already developing a reputation as a troublemaker. In fact, due to something I did at home around that time of my life, out of desperation, my mother drove me up to the Youth Guidance Center at Woodside and Portola in San Francisco. That large green building is also known as “juvenile hall.” We never actually went inside the building, but that’s where Mom and I negotiated an agreement for improved behavior.

Today, December 3, my granddaughter, Scarlett, celebrates her fourth birthday. She is much better behaved than I was at that age. In fact, though she certainly has her moments, she’s an absolute delight. She is creative, intelligent, and playful, and she has an engaging sense of humor. I have the opportunity to spend some time with Scarlett almost every day, and the time spent with her nourishes my soul.

One can never know what the future holds for any four-year-old child. Will Scarlett be successful in school, in athletics, in music or art, or in the performing arts? Time will tell. For now, I’m happy to see her having opportunities to test the waters of a variety of activities to see which ones pique her interest and bring her happiness. One thing I know for certain, Scarlett is going to test the limits of every situation and environment, as every young child should. 

As the second child in her family, Scarlett has already displayed several of the characteristics exhibited by her Dad (also a second child) when he was a little guy — and Steve turned out quite well. 

With hope and gratitude, I wish Scarlett a wonderful Happy Birthday!