may has melted

Well, May has melted, mostly. Apparently, some of its frostiness may fall into our June night. Jeepers Creepers (in the words of my Mozambican counterpart, Capassura). I should not complain about the weather though--first of all, that's a very typical thing to do, and I shouldn't fall into typical-thing-to-do traps. Second, people don't generally like to hear others complain, especially about something that everyone has to experience. It's not like I'm the only one staring out the window at a grey, cold June afternoon. And besides, the weather has been very lovely, sunny, and flowerful, even if I still have to wear a sweatshirt and earmuffs around the house.

I would have liked to give Carl, whose birthday was on the last day of May, a bouquet of almost-but-not-quite-bloomed lilacs for his birthday. Lilacs not blooming until his birthday is the sort of thing that makes Carl very happy, and I have always, since I can remember, admired this about him. He finds such pure joy in such simple, real things--like rocks from as many places as possible, watermelon, gophers, blankets, space, the theory of relativity. If humans were limited in the skills we have to plunge through life,with, Carl's skill of true delight is one that I'd highly suggest be on the list of ones we could have.

Carl and I on a perfect May day

May has always been my favorite month... my birthday's in May, summer vacation started when I was a kid, it warms up, it has always been a month of changes and I love change. A particularly exciting May for me when I was a thirteen, I got to go to my first rock band concert: Geoff Moore and the Distance. I also got my BUM t-shirt for my birthday. That shirt and that May were like a symbolic cocoon--I an awkward caterpillar who slipped into the turquoise cotton T-shirt and gradually made her way out over the next 10 years, changing from an awkward tween to a much more confident adult. I still have my a toe or two stuck in that shirt, but mostly Mays change that.

Four of my nephews and one niece now have the good fortune to experience their birthdays in May... Benjamin, now 16 (collective deep breath in...don't breathe out yet) needed, nor needs no turquoise BUM shirt to build his confidence as he entered into and embraces his teen years. He's always been a confident and natural leader. Self-assured in his opinions, his skills, his feelings. Swift with a soccer ball, adept with his social life, and real about having fun, he is quickly turning into the solid man that God created him to be. I look forward to him being the cool oldest cousin to my children someday.

Benjamin at the beach...

His youngest brother Lucas, now seven, has been able to play soccer better than me since he was two. He's now in school and can play on real soccer teams, at which I'm sure he's excelling. My sister-in-law sent me a clipping from the newspaper last year that had a picture of Lucas lying on his stomach, under a table in the classroom, reading a book with another little girl. I laughed at the picture and marveled at how much it captured the essence of my nephew: unabashed in carrying out his creative ideas, but sincere and determined in living life to the fullest. His affection spills out and sprinkles all with a good, solid warm, fuzzy feeling.

Lucas and Paul

Paul has, I think, the brightest eyes, I've ever seen. He devours information and locks into anything that can stimulate his curiosity. And along with that well-oiled mind, comes a social agility that I, in all my awkwardness, can only envy. He can engage adults in interesting conversation, often involving maps, computers, and/or making lists. He can make his peers laugh in a moment. He shows very little fear at getting up in front of a crowd to sing.

Emily, now five years old, made an important declaration the other day: instead of a princess she is going to be a doctor. One that takes care of animals. I have a feeling she'll have princess in her no matter what she's doing. And, indeed, an animal doctor she could be. Emily has a heart that's bigger than Texas. I hope her mom doesn't mind me telling this story, but I think it demonstrates how thoughtful and loving she is.... One night she noted that Laura no longer has a mother. "Everyone needs a mommy," she declared. "I'll be your mommy now, "she said. So she called her mom "honey" for a few days instead of mommy. Emily is creative and expressive and ready for the next step into the world (kindergarten).

Emily and the puppet theater that she created.

Ach, it's so hard to write things like this because one can hardly capture the beauty of these children in a paragraph, but I want to celebrate them nonetheless. So, even if I'm weeks late, I love you all just the same...