Acknowledging Gratitude, Celebrating Joy

Life is good: it's my Godson's birthday!

Today is a very special day. Today is the day that my eldest Godson was born. It is a wondrous, marvelous, meaningful day. It made one of my dearest friends, Pip, a mother for the first time. The awe of that all is too much for words. I was young and unmarried and so this little boy's entrance into the world introduced me to a whole new world, too. He was two months old before I got to meet him, but in the eight weeks previous, I had soaked up every morsel of tidings, tidbits, and information his mother was willing to share.

My darling Godson is a dear, smart, thoughtful, interesting boy. His voice is as sweet as honey. Being named his Godmother is one of the greatest joys and honors of my life. What a wonderful gift to have parents of a precious little one say that they want for you to be in their child's life forever! To join their family in such a perspicuous, yet interpretable, position. What a treasure to get to stand alongside them as they baptize their child and present him to the world. And what a beautiful feeling it is to know that you are connected to another person in such a distinct, unique way. Not by blood, but by love, which oozes and flows and invigorates just the same. For always.

My dear, darling Godson lives a phone call away. But today, he and his mama will be in my every thought. As she celebrates her birthing day and he celebrates the day he graced our world with his precious little face. I will not get to watch him cut his cake, I will have to imagine him blowing out the candles. And my wish for him? The world. His heart's desires. The mindfulness to live in the moment. The bravery to take the next step. The discernment to listen to his heart. Gentleness, empathy, and generosity with others. Especially those who have the least. The strength to ask for help. The sensitivity to offer it. An endless curiosity. A sense of adventure. A heart always open to God's infinite love. Blessings, blessings, blessings. And years and years and years of good health and happiness that he might taste and smell and see and hear all of the wonders of this world with which we have been graced. And so much more.


Dear Godson, you are my gift. On your birthday. And every day.