HAPPY BIRTHDAY KIEREN!

(This is a post coming from Kieren's family and friends who love her lots!)

We just want to say Happy Birthday Kieren!  

Oh, the Places You'll Go!
by Dr. Seuss (somewhat modified by MOM) 

Congratulations! (Kieren) Today is your day. You're off to Great Places! You're off and away! You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes You can pedal yourself any direction you choose. You're on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the gal who'll decide where to go.

You'll look up and down highways. Look 'em over with care. About some you will say, "I don't choose to go there." With your head full of brains, your cycling shoes full of feet, you're too smart to go down any not-so-good street.

And you may not find any you'll want to go down. In that case, of course, you'll head straight out of town. It's opener there in the wide open air. Out there things can happen and frequently do to people as brainy and footsy as you. And when things start to happen, don't worry. Don't stew. Just continue to Pedal and wear your sunscreen too!

OH! THE PLACES YOU'LL GO!

You'll be on your way up! You'll be seeing great sights! You'll join other cyclers who cycle high heights. But I'm sorry to say so sadly, it's true that cycling Hang-ups can happen to you. You can get all hung up in a prickle-ly perch. And your gang will fly on. You'll be left in a Lurch. You'll come down from the Lurch with an unpleasant bump. And the chances are, then, that you'll be in a Slump. And when you're in a Slump, you're not in for much fun. Un-slumping yourself is not easily done.

You will come to a place where highways are not marked. Shoulders are narrow. And sometimes are darked. A place you could sprain both your elbow and chin! Do you dare to stay out? Do you dare to go in? How much can you lose? How much can you win?

And IF you go in, should you turn left or right... or right-and-three-quarters? Or, maybe, not quite? Or go around back and sneak in from behind? Simple it's not, I'm afraid you will find, for a mind-maker-upper to make up her mind.

You can get so confused that you'll start in to race down long winding highways at a break-necking pace and grind on for miles across the Canadain wild space, headed, I fear, toward a most useless place. The Waiting Place...

Somehow you'll escape all that waiting and staying. You'll find the bright places where new friends are playing. With banner flip-flapping, once more you'll ride high! Ready for anything under the Canadian sky. Ready because you're that kind of a gal!

Oh, the places you'll go! There is fun to be done! So keep on pedaling under the Canadian Sun!
Sometimes you’ll be Alone! Whether you like it or not, Alone will be something you'll be quite a lot.
And when you're alone, there's a very good chance you'll meet things that scare you right out of your pants. Hills, winds, badgers and horseflies, down the road between hither and yon, that can scare you so much you won't want to go on. But on you will go though the terrain be foul. On you will go though the wind it may howl. On you will go though the Horse Flies they prowl.

Onward up many a frightening hill, though your legs and knees may get sore or you may get a chill. On and on you will cycle and I know you'll pedal far and face up to your problems whatever they are. You'll get mixed up, of course, as you already know. You'll get mixed up with many strange doods as you go. So be sure when you pedal pedal with care and great tact and remember that Life's a Great Balancing Act. Just never forget to be dexterous and deft. And never mix up your right foot with your left.

And will you succeed? Yes! You will, indeed! (98 and 3/4 percent guaranteed.) Kieren, YOU'LL pedal MOUNTAINS! Vancouver to St. John.

 So... be your name Buxbaum, or KIN BIN, or Bray, or Mordecai, Ali, Van, Allen, O'Shea, you're off to Great Places! Today is your day! Canadian roads are awaiting. So...get on your way!
 
We are so proud of you and wish you all the best as you continue on this journey. We look forward to seeing you again soon. Lots of love from us all.