Tomorrow, December 9^th, 2008, is Donny Osmond's 51^st birthday.

How do I know this? For one thing, I have an encyclopedia-like memory for birthdays. But in this case, it's a bit more. One never forgets the birthday of one's first love.

Ask any woman, "did you have a teenage crush on a celebrity?" Among my girlfriends of my age cohort, if you ask who their teen dream was, you'll probably hear "David Cassidy", "Bobby Sherman" or a few others; my teen idol was Donny.

It was the early 70s, and there was a lot going on in the U.S. at the time. Mercifully, at age 11, I didn't know about the tragedy at Kent State. Never heard of the Weather Underground. Songs about Yellow Submarines made absolutely no sense to me. And all I remember about Watergate is the mind-numbing, incessant TV hearings all day presided-over by the jowly, scowly Sam Ervin which, for some reason I could not fathom, were being broadcast on every station.

Adolescence is a wonderful and frightening developmental stage. Within just months, a girl turns into a young woman. For girls, impending womanhood is heralded by a momentous physiological event that is visible proof that the process is well underway. I recall vividly that a few weeks after menarche, I was still playing with my Barbie dolls. But there was feeling stirring that was very distressing. Barbie and Ken weren't fun anymore. Dressing my dolls, styling their hair, going shopping with Ken, and sitting at the beach with Skipper just didn't do it for me anymore. I packed my Barbies away in a box. A few weeks later, I took them out and tried to play with them again. I was grieving: the magic was gone. But that's about the same time a new feeling showed up.

Ask around. If you can get them to admit it, many women will sheepishly own up to a youthful infatuation and give you a name. Developmental psychologists undoubtedly have a scientific explanation as to why teen idols are such a fixation for young girls. Without even looking-up this research, I can tell you what Donny did for me beginning in 6^th grade. He was a safe love object whom I could admire from afar. I could practice and process scary and thrilling emotions with no risk of rejection or embarrassment. But just as my Barbie doll magic wore off, so did my infatuation with Donny in about 8^th grade.

About 20-some years later, I met Donny in person. I got his autograph! He was in Minneapolis for several weeks playing the title role in Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical Joseph and his Technicolor Dreamboat... er... Dreamcoat. As a part of the event's promotion, Donny was going to be in downtown to meet anyone who wanted to stand in line for the honor. I got the chance to shake his hand and finally gaze into those gorgeous brown eyes I had stared at on album covers for hours on end. I was eager to meet him, but I was curious as to how I would feel about it when the moment finally arrived.

As he got closer and closer to me, I thought about his hit Puppy Love and how that was one of my favorite songs. Then my mind drifted to thinking about my real puppy at home and-honest to Pete-how I had forgotten to give her that month's heartworm pill.

It was my turn. I shook his hand and welcomed him to the Twin Cities. What did I think? He's just a guy. A talented, friendly guy, but he was a working parent just like me. I will always admire his artistry, but the sizzle was gone. Incredibly, as a Minnesota citizen, my feelings of fondness for him now was for providing the Twin Cities with great Broadway entertainment and bringing much needed tourism dollars into our state. Could this be the same girl?-gone from swooning teenybopper to sober taxpayer?

What I never thought about as a young girl was this: what was adolescence like for Donny? He grew up being the innocent romantic companion of an untold number of girls who were trying on womanhood for the first time. With the egocentricity of a child, I never thought that Donny had any feelings. Now I wondered...How was it for Donny-growing up as the idol of all the teenyboppers like me? I just found the most touching interview on YouTube. If you are a Donny fan, or even if you aren't, this clip is instructive for any student in human development or family studies. Celebrity teens have special needs... listen:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40Aii5e4GmQ

In 51 years, Donny has built an amazing and versatile career. He has reinvented himself over and over. After teen celebrity, he went on to co-host his own variety show, and he continues to record fabulous music. He's been a talk show host and a game show host (a good one-not cheesy.) He's hilariously funny. This collaboration with comedian Weird Al Yankovic, in which he makes self-deprecating fun of his being "white and nerdy," has had over 2 million hits on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XbVtbc_XzrI

He's starred in Broadway musicals and is a first rate talent-listen to these clips from "Joseph."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKHDpT26FGk

Gulp. He's not just for teenyboppers anymore. When I heard Donny sing this following solo in person from fewer than 50 feet away... tears just streamed down my face.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQ_kaB75dEg

Finally, and most importantly, he's a decent human being. From all accounts, Donny is a dedicated family man-husband and father of five... and now a grandfather. He and his whole family are arguably the most famous and admired representatives of their LDS-Mormon faith. Surfing around YouTube, one can find interviews and snippets of their talk shows. In many of these videos, one or more members of the Osmond family discuss problems that their family has endured. The Osmonds have coped with all the family heartbreaking situations that all of us have: chronic illnesses, disabilities, disappointments and divorce, just to name a few.

Donny has spoken frankly of struggling with anxiety disorder. Sister Marie Osmond has talked publicly and written a book about her scary brush with post-partum depression. As the Osmonds disclosed their struggles, each time they announced what was happening with such dignity. They honestly "put it out there." Then they asked for the understanding of the public and asked for their privacy, especially when there were young children affected. In each of these crises, I have had enormous respect for this family.

Donny, if you are ever googling around and find my blog, I want you to know that you were my first love at age 11 and helped me through a crucial developmental stage. My husband George "knows about us" and understands completely. George had his own teen crush-he had a thing for Julie Newmar who played the Catwoman in TV's Batman series in the 60s. I guess boys go though this stage too. Another male friend told me that Ann-Margret in Bye, Bye Birdie was solely responsible for the onset of his adolescence.

Happy 51^st, Donny. I've thought of you every December 9^th since 1971. I celebrate your birthday and your many gifts. You were such a nice, wholesome young man to be the object of my first crush. Maybe you formed the model for the real crush for my adult life. My husband George is a talented, shy, and dedicated family man, too.

Thanks for being my first Sweet and Innocent love. It all started here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQmmxQqF-Ks

Does anyone else want to admit to a teen celebrity crush? Post a comment!