AT THIS MOMENT YOU MEAN EVERYTHING: My wife is celebrating a milestone birthday today, and so it seems fitting to write a little tribute to her here.

Eileen Nisky Hess is, quite simply, the perfect woman for me.

She's beautiful and yet casual. (On the first two days we spent time getting to know each other -- on consecutive days -- she wore the exact same clothes: an old sweater and some faded jeans.)

She's a responsible adult, but she can be as reckless as a teenager in the right situation. (I got us third-row seats and a limo for the Rolling Stones concert at Soldier Field. She puked during the first song. I was furious and proud at the same time.)

She's thoughtful, but she doesn't overthink things. (I often seek to understand the reasons for her moods. I probe on topics like religion and her place in the universe, our goals as individuals and as a couple, and the impact of world events. She tells me she's tired, she's hungry, or she has to go to the bathroom.)

She's a mystery even to herself. (Her own laugh often startles her, escaping from her body in the form of a snort or a yell. Ordering food, even from the McDonald's drive-thru, inspires near-paralysis in her. This is a kind of primitive genius: Each new food order in her life is rife with possibilities. For Eileen, nothing is mundane or rote.)

She lives all day every day. (Recently on vacation one of my brothers observed, "Eileen is amazing. She wakes up the second she opens her eyes. She never stops moving all day long. And when she closes her eyes at night she falls asleep immediately.")

Eileen is amazing. She is everything I wanted in a life partner. She is the most beautiful mother I have ever seen. And although today is her birthday, I woke up with the feeling that her presence in my life is the greatest gift I've ever received.

Here's to you, Nisky. Happy Birthday!