My father's mother
Danced through life with passion and flair
Determined and stubborn, courageous and outrageous
I wish for you her individuality and sense of drama.

My father's father
Had a sense of mischief that bordered on cunning
Quick thinking, generous, the life and soul of the party
I wish for you his love of life, of family, his tricksy spirit.

My mother's father
Sent his grandchildren to sleep with their heads full of glorious nonsense, absurd, fantastical tales
He had a smile for the whole world, and shone from within with a golden light.
I wish for you this shining quality, his kindness, creativity and loving heart.

My mother's mother
Is the strongest of all the strong women I know,
Straight speaking, no-nonsense, a clear head in a sea of chaos
I wish for you her strength, her calm, her ability to see things as they really are.

I wish for you
My mother's tolerance and sense of fun, my father's thirst for knowledge
Your fathers' fathers quiet comforting presence
Your father's mother's empathy and warmth.

Those that are gone, their memories persist and will be passed down
You will be all of us, and all of them, and yet, always, uniquely you.