Another year rolls by

Another year has rolled by on my life calendar.  Birthdays are weird.  Because I shared my birthday with my parents' anniversary, it was always a dual occasion.  However now that Dad has passed away, it's a solo occasion.  It's a reminder how life has changed since he left.  

I had a lovely day yesterday.  I met my Mom and her friend Jerry in her hometown (and mine) Grand Ledge.  We had lunch and then Mom gave Jerry a tour of the area.  We stopped at the cemetery to "visit" Grandma and Grandpa. (I need to get back there and clean their grave marker - but first I need to research the best way to do that without ruining the granite!)  Mom reminisced about other people in the cemetery and we paid our respects to Leo Head (Mom's brother-in-law's Dad).  Then we were off on the rest of the tour.  We went to the trailer park where Mom and Dad had their first "owned" home, a mobile home.  I was brought home from the hospital to this place and then we moved to Ohio.   We drove by Mom's various schools, the church and her home.  I love listening to her talk about her childhood.  She talks about the Heart, playing in the woods by their house and of course the Ledges.  The roads that were dirt are now paved.  The fields where they played are now gone.  But, the echoes of the fun they had are still there.  Mom is one of 8 kids born to Glen D. Baker and Eileen R. Long Baker.  The funny thing is they both went by their middle names, so their middle initial is actually their first name.   On long drives from our home in Ohio to visit family in Michigan she would tell us stories of her childhood.  We heard stories of Uncle Dwight and his friends burying Mom's treasured marble bag in the yard as a "treasure" hunt and they were never found.  We heard about catching frogs at the heart and letting them go.  We heard stories of games and neighbors and fun.  One of my absolute favorite photos is one of my Uncle Dwight running down their road with my Mom trying to catch him.  For me, it catches everything about that time frame, and summer, and childhood.

My boys came home from Traverse City.  Their step-brother got married.  I saw emotions swirling for them.  We lived in Traverse City when they were little.  We were a family in TC.  This was a big family occasion without their Dad.  These are difficult things but they were able to spend time with their Uncle Steve (their Dad's brother) and that was a very good thing.  They took me out to dinner, just the 3 of us.  It's so wonderful to have adult kids that you genuinely like being with.   And finally Mark got home.

Mark had been in California for a cousins' weekend.  Hurricane Hillary caused his flight home on Sunday to be cancelled so Monday it was.  He had a great time catching up with cousins and his sisters and I'm so glad he went.  And, I'm glad he is home.

I spent time on the back deck just enjoying the view, and reflecting.  Our life is different from others, especially his family.  We have chickens, we have dogs, we have old trailers, an old house, etc.  We don't travel the globe.  We're an oddity to many of them.  That's not to say they're snobby or anything.  His family is wonderful.  They just live very different lives.   Mark worries that we don't "compare" to them.  I always remind him that this is the life for us.  This is who we are and I wouldn't change where I live, or my home.  Yes, I would like some of the experiences they have, but I love my life.

I like to reflect on my birthday.  I'm so thankful for my life, my family, my home, and my friends.  I watch our crazy fur crew playing and I'm thankful for each one of them who came into our life for a reason.  I listen to the chickens clucking in their pen and smile at their antics.  I watch the ducks, egrets and herons on the pond and feel genuine peace.  Happy birthday to me.  I am blessed.