Caitlin, the incomparable

This is my daughter, on her wedding day - even before the ceremony she was organizing things. She clearly inherited the management gene from her father, and has parlayed that into a successful career in a field for which she never studied. No matter, for Caitlin has that rare ability to fall into the outhouse, and come out smelling like a rose.

She is the classic overachiever, and has mastered the 25 hour day. After eight years of dating the same boy, she decided it was time for him to marry her. She simply added him to her work schedule and gave him marching orders. Fortunately, being one of five sons in a family where his mother ruled the roost, he was prepared to say "yes, dear" and move along on the path directed. I think his mother is proud of him, knowing she's left him in good hands with my daughter.

Caitlin was born in St. Louis (her brother was born in Indianapolis, and like the prodigal has returned there), in 1983. She came into the world on July 5th, and claims she heard all the noise from the celebration of the 4th of July and figured it was announcing her imminent arrival. Her brother was born on D-Day, and arrived to his own sounds of distant guns. My wife was born on Bastille Day (explaining why she took French in high school), and I could only claim William Shakespeare's birthday as a shared date.

We held Caitlin back from elementary school, choosing to make her the oldest in her class rather than the youngest. She still was very precocious and learned most of those early grade skills ahead of her classmates. I recall she was doing 8th grade math in 6th grade - teachers seemed to recognize her appetite for learning, and the Rockwood School District never failed her. I can't recall her ever getting a "B" in school, and she graduated high school with a 4.2 average.

In her junior year, she and I flew to the west coast to look at colleges. We collected lots of various college sweatshirts, which ultimately ended up being worn by her mother. In her senior year, she and a girl friend got in a Saturn (without too much in the way of planning) and drove south. They visited a number of universities, and Caitlin fell in love with Florida State. Her friend decided to pursue the fifth year of high school (as about half the class did) by attending the University of Missouri. Caitlin had no need to be two hours from home - she had been that way since childhood when she packed a bag with two hours notice and went off to visit Grandmother without any concerns (her parents had many) at age six or seven. She still visits her grandmother, and exhibits a tolerance of this ninety year old unmatched by any others in the family.

Caitlin went off to Florida State, spending the first year in the dorm, the second year in the Delta Zeta house, and the third year in her own apartment with a roommate and two dogs. There wasn't a fourth year, she graduated cum laude in three years and one summer session.

When she came back to St. Louis, she found a job in banking - her major was communications, not business, but the offer (second offer, anyway) included just enough to set out on her own and begin an independent life. Her bank was purchased by another, and she was able to get into a management training program. That bank was subsequently purchased by another, but she survived again and along the way completed an MBA program paid for by the second lender. She is now playing out her string (needing to stay for another year and a half to repay the educational assistance debt). Last I heard, she was contemplating studying for the CPA exam, but was also open to Law School. Her merry-go-round goes faster than my ability to follow where she'll be next.

For now, she's looking to sell her condo and find a home with four bedrooms and a yard. She has already applied to the Bank of Dad for a short term loan (her credit is excellent). In the meantime, she and Matt are living in our Missouri condo to allow hers to show without the impairment of her two terriers present. Her two dogs, known to my wife and I as "the two little hooligans", probably are not conducive to showing her small condo. We wish her well, primarily as we don't want to spend the summer in Florida, and I doubt that she and Matt want to deal with parents under the same roof when we return.

As to that house in the suburbs, with a big yard and four bedrooms, it has yet to be found, but I know Caitlin will prevail - she always does. Caitlin has a plan for everything, and for everything there is a season.