Today she's 21

Where did all the time go?  Yesterday she was my little girl, giggling and laughing with her friends, coming up to our room and laying on the bed while I held her in my arms and stroked her hair.  Then she left for France and stayed a long time.  When she came back she had changed--transformed from a giggling teenager into a young woman.  Now, with a year of college behind her she has long left the little girl behind and I see standing before me the woman that I envisioned she would become. 

How I love you, Lauren.  Happy Birthday.