You can't know what you mean to us
As you tiptoe endearingly through our lives,
Dispensing acts of love like bouquets
Of rainbow buds, of fragile sprays.

Pert and pretty, spirit unfazed,
Unless fever downs your chicks;
Eyes rapt by all the gaze can bind,
But quick as the impressive mind behind.

Your logic births views beyond the pale,
Wise counsel given, which seldom fails.
Your wry tales of foibles; we keep seeking more;
Add fresh chapters daily to our family lore.

You're articulate in conversation,
Shunning special effect and ostentation.
Innocence rests in your observations,
But we're alert to your variations.

With your word choice and intelligence refined;
Oral thrusts understated and deceivingly mild;
Your husky, guileless voice so soft,
Too late we find our heads are off!

Flexible, but determined when convinced you're right;
A sensitive listener, finding time
For reaching out with laughter and sharing;
Generous with wealth, compassion and caring.

Kind and patient, intensely tuned
To the pain and concerns of those in need;
Dispelling gloom as it takes a stand,
With a smile, a shoulder, a hug, a hand.

Loyal friend and doting mother,
Always there for sister or brother;
A watchful daughter, blunting blows of life;
Supportive, giving, affectionate wife.

Collecting knowledge throughout your stages,
Along a path strewn with countless pages
Of thousands of books; a perennial reader;
You're also known as a garden seeder.

With plant aptitude and love of flowers,
Your midwife's role is near-maternal;
Your beautiful hands perform surgery on soil;
And cascades of color spring up where you toil.

Sometimes you work with other tools
With two blonde heads bending near,
To convert paper, paint and wood
Into household art; stuff of childhood.

Your love affair with the great outside
Fans your interests deep and wide;
Parks and trees, the lakesheen glitter,
The flash of color, the feathered twitter.

In season, the beach beckons, but beyond
The ocean winds, too, forge a bond;
Bronzed by the sun you vault the rail
And happily dare the spray and sail.

The small ones share your keen delight,
In the denizens of the "underworld" of the deep:
Whiskered crabs; silver darts flashing pell-mell;
Seawind, sand castles, surf and shell.

You crave mountain trekking on a backpack trail,
Tent living or sleeping under bright stars.
Dining on fare from a campfire blaze.
On a bike, the wind cooling your face is a craze.

Observing people and the universe
Leavens your walk and puts spring in your step.
While those who marvel delight to see
What unknown leap will stretch Jody.

Your presence is a vein of gold
For those like us who mine your time;
Precious moments, those spent near
Your aura of sweetness, warmth and cheer.