Our beautiful daughter Nicole turns 19 today. Happy Birthday, Nicole. We're really sorry we can't be there to celebrate it with you.

I won't write a book, but let me tell you just three things I like about my daughter (I'll resist calling her "my baby" because I know she reads this). First and foremost, she has a strong will (she must get that from her mother). While this has sometimes caused her trouble, overall I think it is a very positive trait. I worry about young people who get pushed around by their peers, and I don't think Nicole has that problem.

Second is her creativity, which is exhibited in so many ways. How many people do you know who wrote a complete theatrical adaptation of a book when they were in 8th grade? She naturally gravitates to all kinds of creative expression: theatre, music, poetry. My favorite story (we tell it often) is the fact that Kim had difficulty punishing Nicole when she was very young. Time outs didn't work because when Nicole went to her room, she simply played and didn't even realize she was being punished. A psychologist friend suggested making her have time out in the bathroom. When Kim tried that, Nicole simply made hand puppets out of toilet paper.

Third is the fact that Nicole is an extremely caring person. She cares about everyone and everything. I think her love for animals may stem from the fact that she wants to care for them. When she has a friend who is hurting, Nicole is super-stressed to the point of illness. She is a "sucker" for any cause - and I mean that in the nicest possible way. Anyone who needs help with anything can probably get Nicole involved, whether it's raising money or praying or spending a day helping on some project. If Nicole were given wishes, she wouldn't wish for money. Her wishes would all be to "fix things" that she sees wrong.

It's been difficult to be away from Nicole these three months. When we lived in Macerata in 2002 she was here with us, and a lot of times as we walk past places, we will say, "remember when Nicole..." We miss her and I'm pretty sure she misses us, too.