Twenty three years ago today Spring was ushered in by the birth of Little Sue. The fact that my birth name was Demeter, and I had a little girl on the First Day of Spring was not lost on me, and I will always associate that day with legends, and goddesses. I am certain she is quite happy though that I did not take it to the next logical step, and name her Persephone....but I was tempted!

Little Sue was a very mild mannered, and easy going type baby.....she would not have had two younger siblings if she wasn't.

That is not to say she was not up for adventures....but precisely because she was such a good natured kid we had many adventures as I could take her anywhere, and people were enchanted with her.

Growing up she LOVED the Wizard of Oz, and would occasionally introduce herself as Dorothy! Here she is dressed up as the Good Witch for Halloween circa 1990 in a costume Nanny Toni, my mother, handmade for her.

Little Sue, and my Mom's cat Jinx. She was always very gentle with both dogs, and cats, and to this day is very concerned with the rights, and welfare of animals.

Little Sue played T-ball, and won a trophy that year....ok all the kids won trophies that year...but she was really chuffed!

Growing up Little Sue did very well at school in most subjects, and by the time it was Grade Eight graduation she was an honours student. She always got nice comments from her teachers because she remained a very easy going child.

As a teenager Little Sue became a lot less easy going (like the majority of us) and started to push boundaries, but still maintained her kindness, and was a very loving big sister who helped take care for her two younger siblings.

Some of the fun things I remember about Little Sue during the teen years is our shared love of horror movies, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and her appreciation for art, including singing, and sketching.

And here is my Little Sue 23 years old....with a promising career in the non-profit, charitable sector, and a very bright future indeed!

Happy Birthday Little Sue! I love you dearly, and I am very proud of the woman you have become!