Ti Ti, this is my poetic birthday greeting,
Happy, Happy Birthday to you today.
You are now twenty years old,
As you journey on your yellow brick road.

As I attempt to write my poetic masterpiece,
Memories of you swirl around in my gray head.
Where do I begin explaining,
How your presence changed your PaPa Al’s life.

We first met while you and I played Scrabble.
I played with a nine-year-old kid.
It was fun for me, but that was not the reason why,
You played that day; you were there to win.

Somewhere in your brain, you felt the drive,
To prove your abilities to yourself.
After playing Scrabble, you convinced me,
You were indeed possessed giftedness.

On each trek to Myanmar to visit my family and you,
It was clear to me you are an exceptional young lady.
The second time we discussed going to college,
Which meant going to a college prep high school.

On my last trip, I attended an honors assembly.
You were awarded with much acclaim,
Being the best in math in all of Shan State.
Which soon meant going to Gusto University.

Your litany of successes continued at Gusto.
You are doing well grade-wise.
You were also the first female,
To be invited to the Robot Club.

In addition to Gusto classes and groups,
You excelled in your scuba diving class.
You also aced an online class,
That your PaPa Al taught.

Your excellence isn’t limited to academia.
You are equally into helping others.
When I asked you why you wanted to go to college,
You replied to help make your country a better place.

We did fun things together
Like crossing the Myanmar Alps
On the back of an elephant.
What a scary ride you, your sisters, and I took.

We also went on a balloon ride over acres
Of Buddhist shrines near Bagan.
When compared to the elephant,
The balloon ride over Bagan was much safer.

You have a lifetime ahead of you.
You will journey far and wide,
Leaving your footprints in the sand
That will help and guide those that follow.

As I look back upon the time we spent,
I am so fortunate that we played Scrabble.
I’m the richest person in the world,
Because of our chance meeting.

Love,
PaPa Al