This has been a week of milestones. As defined by Google, a milestone is"an action or event marking a significant change or stage in development." I can attest to at least five in the last seven days.
I had the privilege of flying to Michigan and staying at my son and daughter-in-law's home for the first time. The occasion that took me to the land of snarled traffic and snow was my sixteen year old granddaughter's lead in her high school musical production of Newsies. For those unfamiliar with that Disney film and Broadway show, it is about the boys who sold daily newspapers in New York City and the strike they launched in 1899.
My granddaughter had the female lead. To my amazement, she sang, she acted, she danced, and to my son's frantically beating heart, she was kissed four times! That is 4x6! Six performances which will find her daddy upfront and focused on his teen-age daughter.
Meanwhile, in the same household, my fifteen year old granddaughter spent the week-end bonding with the varsity competition cheerleading team. It was a retreat held in a huge home on a lake, two hours away. My husband, their Papou, and I, their Yaya, drove up early in the Fall to see her cheer at a varsity high school football game. Now it is competition season! Another Milestone for her is that she is driving a vehicle with her instructor beside her. She seems far more motivated to get that license than her older sister.
Lastly, in terms of that family unit, my first born son turned 47 years old while I was there!
In celebration, Granddaughter #2 and her parents and I had dinner on Sunday afternoon. It was a rustic restaurant with deer and moose antlers on the walls and a large, stone fireplace. I had just completed knitting my second red hat for the girls. Their high school colors include red. Suddenly a memory flashed of bringing my newborn son home from the hospital in a handmade red bunting with a white silk ribbon holding the bottom together. And now he is the father of five. And our cheerleader is his baby.
I Ubered to the airport from my son's office on Tuesday. The driver was a very humble, middle aged man who explained that he is a foreman for a landscaping company during the good weather and drives the rest of the year. He is from Gambia and values his citizenship, freedom, and opportunities here in the United States. When he arrived he was illiterate and people have embraced him from day one. He has educated three adult children and wants to give back to those less fortunate.
Upon arriving at the Orlando airport, my husband informed me that our first stop would be our primary care doctor's office. Every time I leave him behind, something physical happens to him. He has survived a stroke, two heart attacks, and concussions from softball mishaps. This time he had a splinter in his foot. He was fairly certain it was from a toothpick. No great answer as to why there was a toothpick on the floor? They worked forever to get that invader out but all was well eventually.
He has since played golf twice so I can assume he has very little, if any, discomfort from his wound.
Today is my baby's 46th birthday. The thing about having two sons is that one has the title and honor of being the oldest son and they other will always be Mama's baby boy. He still participates in the activities I watched him develop as a child. We forced two years of piano on both boys after which they both abandoned that instrument. Now, Son #2 is a tenured music professor at a college South of San Francisco. His sound mixing students are striving toward careers in the music/film industry.
I might add that this Son began his family later than his big brother and bigger half-brother. (We don't really use half or step in connection with family relationships. His biggest brother simply isn't my biological son. We are all one family!) Now, this son and his sons, ages nine and six, play soccer-on separate teams, of course. As far as milestones, I was told that my nine year old grandson scored his first goal on a week-end when my Son scored a goal as well.
Lastly, my first crime/romance novel has been submitted to Amazon. My editor and I will have copies to proof by the first of the week. It should be available for purchase, dear friends, by December 10th. "The Christmas Slayings" fictionalizes a story of six murders the week before Christmas in 1992. Now, I do write to the woman who is in prison for life and has been on my heart all these years. You won't want to miss the 25 year later Epilogue.
Let me hear about your milestones. God is so good. Keep the faith and run your race. I am bound and determined to complete mine- the destiny the Lord has in store for me.
