FISTFULAYENHappy 21st, Zoe
Zoe,
Happy 21st! You were 3 already when I turned 21 and now here we are 17 eventful years later…
It wouldn’t be possible to be any more proud of you. In the face of parents with their own problems who were learning on the job, you’ve turned out to be a hard-working, thoughtful, empathetic adult well on your way to carrying the proverbial family torch far further than your mom or I could hope to run with it. Yes, I’m proud of your 5.0 GPA at MIT, your General Manager status at WMBR (click here to listen to Zoe’s radio show from this past Monday morning), your genetic data spelunking with Python at The Broad Institute and the fact that you’re a published genetic research scientist (wha?!?! who’dathunk?!!). I hope at this point those are things you’re doing in your own pursuit of personal fulfillment; you sure as hell have nothing else to prove with me. * I’m proud of who you are and while I always hope you’ll come to me for advice, what you do has been powered by your own drive and good decisions for a very long time. Thanks for being you. It’s been 21 years of joy being your Papa and truly an honor to be your friend.
Happy 21st birthday. I wish I was in Cambridge with you today to watch you buy your own glass of bubbly and celebrate it with you. We shall do that together in two short weeks. Daily Pint with Zoe on the 17th? Who’s in?! 
Please leave a happy birthday comment for Zoe below and send a tweet to @zmonster90. Thanks!
papa
* ps – I recycled one of your old semi-colons for this post. I have a pile of them here in a keepsake envelope. I removed each of them carefully from the term papers I helped you edit in high school. 
“Life’s short, don’t make a mess of it”
steven wrote:
Happy Birthday, Zoe! And congrats Ian. I’m so in for the Daily Pint.
xo steven
Posted 04 Aug 2011 at 11:24 pm ¶
Ty White wrote:
HAPPY BIRTHDAY ZOE!!!
<3
Posted 05 Aug 2011 at 1:30 am ¶
Steve Rogers wrote:
Happy Birthday Zoe! Love reading your Dad’s sweet words, for the last 17 years I have known him you have always brought him a great sense of pride and peace.
Posted 05 Aug 2011 at 1:53 am ¶
Tara Brown wrote:
Don’t stop. You keep on goin’ girl.
Posted 05 Aug 2011 at 2:04 am ¶
Ben wrote:
Happy Bday Zoé from all Midem crew! Hope to see you all in Cannes!
Posted 05 Aug 2011 at 2:39 am ¶
Ian Hogarth wrote:
Happy birthday Zoe!!
Posted 05 Aug 2011 at 3:35 am ¶
Yvonne wrote:
Happy Birthday – what a wonderful letter from your father and a life on track for you
Posted 05 Aug 2011 at 5:00 am ¶
stephanie wrote:
Wow! Happy Birthday Zoe!
Posted 05 Aug 2011 at 5:46 am ¶
Jay Frank wrote:
Happy birthday Zoe! Forget the bubbly, now there’s just more good places to see bands in!
Posted 05 Aug 2011 at 6:47 am ¶
Mary Chen wrote:
Zoe… I love you. It’s a little mindblowing that you’re 21, but when I switch contexts to put you in the “adult people” bin it’s even /more/ mindblowing to realize that you’re still at the very beginning. Your list of accomplishments is already terrifying. Holy shit. I don’t know if we’re ready. Be gentle with us.
Love,
Mary
Posted 05 Aug 2011 at 8:13 am ¶
Adam Glickman wrote:
Happy Birthday, Zoe! 20s are the best! Come to think of it, 30s are even better. Youve got an exciting road ahead.
Congrats!
Adam
Posted 05 Aug 2011 at 8:26 am ¶
Mark Thompson wrote:
Happy 21st Zozer!
I still remember you as a toddler going crazy in the living room whenever Ivan put on Zappa’s “Baby Snakes”.
If you are following family tradition, today is the day you will have your first beer. (Seriously. Your dad was a nerd.)
Much love!
Mark & Shannon
Posted 05 Aug 2011 at 8:30 am ¶
Ryan McIntyre wrote:
Happy Birthday Zoe!
Posted 05 Aug 2011 at 8:54 am ¶
tamra davis wrote:
Happy Birthday Zoe! I was just cleaning out our garage and saw a photo of you from the Ben Lee video, where I cast you as one of the Pixies. I think you were 6 years old. I’m so proud of you and I really am amazed that a little girl that was raised in the dorms with her dad before he was 21 has gone on to become one of the brightest minds of her generation. Now I have hope for the future!
xotamra
Posted 05 Aug 2011 at 9:07 am ¶
Happy Tsugawa-Banta wrote:
Happy Birthday Zoe!!
Posted 05 Aug 2011 at 10:10 am ¶
Lori Leve wrote:
Zoe … I can’t believe you’re 21.
Happiest of birthdays to you. Enjoy every second!!!
Much love to you – Lori xo
Posted 05 Aug 2011 at 10:11 am ¶
Tracy wrote:
Happy Birthday. Very touching message from your father, and many great comments. I am going to steal from Tamra, I like this: “Now I have hope for the future!”
Have a great one!
Posted 05 Aug 2011 at 10:14 am ¶
jon theodore wrote:
happy birthday, homegirl!
see you guys at the pint..
Posted 05 Aug 2011 at 10:24 am ¶
Andrew Violette wrote:
Happy Birthday Zoe!
Posted 05 Aug 2011 at 10:28 am ¶
Maurice wrote:
Happy Birthday, Zoe! (didn’t know they even made 5.0s) Wow. All the possibilities..!
Posted 05 Aug 2011 at 10:32 am ¶
Dave B wrote:
Happy 21st Zoe!
Posted 05 Aug 2011 at 11:02 am ¶
scott perry wrote:
happy birthday zoe! all the best.
Posted 05 Aug 2011 at 11:16 am ¶
Rebecca Odes wrote:
Happy grown-up, Z. It’s been a pleasure watching you evolve.
xoxo
Posted 05 Aug 2011 at 11:38 am ¶
Chandler Coyle wrote:
Happy 21, Ms. Rogers!
Posted 05 Aug 2011 at 11:40 am ¶
virgil wrote:
Happy 21st Zoe. I reneber you from the days of Grand Royal magazine. I also remember meeting your dad and a bunch of people for pizza at Casa Bianca when you were training the your service dog.
Posted 05 Aug 2011 at 11:53 am ¶
Jon Voss wrote:
Happy birthday Zoe! You’re an inspiration! Hope you make a road trip up to SF this summer, we always have a place for you and your crew to stay.
love, the Voss-Potts clan
Posted 05 Aug 2011 at 12:36 pm ¶
Gagan wrote:
happy 21st! you survived 21 rotations around the sun! we’ve never met, but I have infinite respect for your pops! keep over-achieving!
Posted 05 Aug 2011 at 1:25 pm ¶
steve wrote:
happy barfday!
Posted 05 Aug 2011 at 4:09 pm ¶
Lisa & John wrote:
Happy B-day Zoe! Hope your having a blast back East. We’ll see you when you are back in SM. Cheers!
Posted 05 Aug 2011 at 7:44 pm ¶
Harry and Cindy wrote:
Happy birthday! We wish you the best and truly appreciate your accomplishments and the kind words and the absolute love and commitment of your parents. In todays world, it is easy to lose sight of those things that are most important. I doubt that you will as your dad has provided you with one of the best role models that I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. You are fortunate and gifted. Enjoy life and we wish all the best. Harry and Cindy.
Posted 05 Aug 2011 at 10:13 pm ¶
Kim Davis Wagner wrote:
Unbelievable!!!
It’s super hard to imagine you’re 21..
I will def. Try and make it for a drink
When you’re back in town
Huge Congratulations Zoe
Wow!!!
Posted 07 Aug 2011 at 12:04 pm ¶
Marilynn wrote:
Zoe,
It’s so hard to believe you’re 21. We’ll never forget how you entertained us on Catalina island. It’s not a surprise to us that you’ve turned out so well, but what a sweet Dad you have for saying so. We send you our best birthday wishes with love,
marilynn and george
Posted 08 Aug 2011 at 12:23 pm ¶
Rob Lord wrote:
So far, so fast and still, still so much more ahead. Happy 21st. Visit Team Lord when in SF, k?
Posted 09 Aug 2011 at 1:47 am ¶
steve gedikian wrote:
happy 21st zoe. i can’t believe how far you’ve come. i’m certainly proud of you. proud of your dad too for raising such an upstanding girl. xoxo
Posted 09 Aug 2011 at 10:43 pm ¶
Mark Landay wrote:
Ian,
Great post. Sorry I missed the live presentation this afternoon.
Mark
Posted 06 Oct 2011 at 5:03 pm ¶
Service dog wrote:
Happy birthday Zoe! I reneber you from the days of Grand Royal magazine. I also remember meeting your dad and a bunch of people for pizza at Casa Bianca when you were training the your service dog.Happy birthday Zoe!
Posted 02 Dec 2011 at 10:41 am ¶