by Nan Einarson

Created on: April 24, 2008   Last Updated: October 31, 2008

From the moment of her arrival, we knew our daughter was going to be her own very independent, unique person. As a toddler, she was fearless in her exploration of her surroundings and in finding new experiences. Our family album is filled with family photos where she has stitches, or a black eye, bruises or scrapes and bumps, the haircut she chose to give herself one Christmas, and the cast she wore when she broke her arm. Thanks to her, we discovered that lighter fluid takes gum residue off just about any surface (except for the nostrils). We became worried that we would be suspected of child abuse. There was nothing in the way of adventure that she wouldn't try. We did our best to keep her as safe as possible, and short of wrapping her in a protective bubble, her determination to challenge normal boundaries kept us hopping.

When she was 3, her ambition was to become a boy. She was always fiercely competitive, and as she got older, she was beating the girls and the boys in school at track and field events, and particularly in cross-country running. In high school, her determination expanded to the soccer and lacrosse fields, and on the volleyball and basketball courts. She participated at Provincial level events from the time she was 12, and earned a full-ride soccer scholarship to University in Baltimore, Maryland. When she graduated, she was signed up for the Canadian Women's soccer team, and had they won their World Cup game in Haiti, they would have made the Olympics.

Nothing that she has ever done has been considered "normal". She eventually took up Adventure Racing, an elite sport where she was thrilled to be able to mountain biking, mountain climbing and repelling, white water rafting, and traversing canyons by rope, hand over hand. Every step along the way, I watched her with awe, admiration and respect. I supported her however I could. I was her biggest fan and her shoulder to cry on when she needed one. She always looked for me to be there for her, and I was always there for her.

I played many roles as she grew up. I was chauffeur, cheerleader, confidante, sounding board,and bank, to name a few. Quite honestly, I had pretty much accepted that "Mother of the Bride" would be one role I would be highly unlikely to experience. Lots of guys dated her, and most were intimidated by her. She didn't need a man in her life to make her happy. While I respected her for that, I worried too.

I should have known better. In her own unique time and way, she found her

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