This past weekend was a very special weekend.  It was March 13th.  And the reason March 13th is such an important day in our family is because it is our beautiful Nana’s birthday!  And this year, Nana celebrated her 90th birthday!   And you would never know it by looking at her.  She is a woman who has been through so much in her life.  She is a mother with five very devoted children.  She is a grandmother who has always shown so much love and support to her eight grandchildren.  She is a great-grandmother to ten beautiful little ones who show such amazing pride for their great-Nana.  Each and every one of us were there this weekend to celebrate this momentous occasion and to thank the dear Lord for blessing our family with our beloved Nana.  Nana has been like the beacon in our lives.  She is always there to listen, to offer her wisdom, to pray for us, to do just about anything her family asks of her.  At 90 years young, she is still driving around town in her own car, maintaining her own home, still going to dances and parties (I still joke that Nana has a bigger social life than I do), and has remained almost completely self-sufficient.  So full of wisdom, love, beauty (both inside and out) and grace, she is just simply – amazing – in every way!  So despite the torrential downpours and the barely hurricane force winds that were howling outside the windows of this New Jersey restaurant on Saturday, the sun was shining brightly in the room in which we had Nana’s birthday celebration.  And the light in her eyes shone brighter than even the candles on her cake.  And so, with much love and pride and admiration in my heart, I wish you, Nana, a happy 90th birthday and a 90th year that makes your heart and soul sing with happiness!  

I LOVE YOU, my beautiful Nana!!!!!