My eldest grandson turned ten today. He is a terrific kid - funny, smart, good-looking and with an angel's voice. (Hey - I sound like a Grandma!) Here is a poem for him -
To Riley On His Tenth Birthday
Here you are on the imaginary line
that says double digits
that says trouble and fun right this way
that says so many paths and only two feet.
I see you
Running to be first
To leap and move with grace and agility
cutting through the water
rounding the tree
dunking the ball
I see you.
I hear you
Laughing at silliness
singing pop songs
Yelling in outrage
or whispering
"I love you" through the telephone wire
I hear you.
I feel you
Your arms around me
Giving me a good squeeze, or
Cannoballing into me
when we play 'mother may I'
and grabbing at some treasure in my fingertips
I feel you.
You are there, on the imaginary line
reving your engine of a heart,
looking out to the horizon
at the next thing
ready to give it all.
I'll be cheering you, on every leap of the way.
Women's Day!
In 2001, I was in Cuba for Women's Day. It is a big deal there - a bunch of us were teaching at a hospital and it was our last day before coming home. Everywhere we went, we women were saluted and honoured. The doctors we were teaching brought the four women in the group flowers and told us that we were more than special on this day and on every day. I liked it. I really did. I am a feminist. I was thrilled a woman won for best director last night and appalled that it had been so long in coming. I'm impatient and angry some of the time and some of the time I am philosophical and grateful. My mother was a great role model. Although it would have been impractical to work when married to an RCAF officer, she believed that women deserved equality. She believed in financial independence for women and that gender and sexuality should be no barrier to all that was on offer. She never 'told us' that she thought this way - she 'showed us' and I am immensely glad she did.
This is my 300th post and to celebrate it I would like to give some gifts. If people would make a comment and tell me of any post of mine that made them laugh or cry or write a letter to their editor or go for a walk or pat their dog or smile then I will send you a photo of mine. Either look back and choose or I'll choose depending on what I think you might like.
