Summer Family Time

Yesterday was spent at the lake. Like so may other days in summer.

We met up with my whole, nuclear family to celebrate two next generation birthdays.

The next generation. They are here, and they are awesome.

I mean awesome in the true meaning of the word. They evoke awe in me and my generation.

Life is an amazing thing. When you can watch it happen, from the beginning, it is a privilege. So many changes, so much chaos. All as time goes consistently by.

Two births celebrated. One on her fifteenth year, the other on her third. A span of twelve years, but celebrating together. Watching my two nieces, my two Godchildren celebrate their lives was awesome.

I am appreciative of celebrations at the lake in the summer. We cram dozens of family into that tiny kitchen to sing happy birthday, and it’s always amazing to me. It’s a magic home of love and life.

There, you can see so much. There are all the stages of growing up, growing old, and many memories of those who have gone. They always come to join us for the celebrations. They are with us in words, stories, jokes, even poking fun at them in a happy, beautiful, funny way, bringing them to life at our parties.

I look at the children around the large, wooden table, whose faces are barely above the table’s horizon.

I smile.

That used to be me. Peering over to see the birthday guest blow out their candles. Having a grown up snap a candid shot. Feeling a little embarrassed by the moment.

I see the same feelings through my lens, but experience now the new feelings of the grown up who snapped the candid shot.

Awesome. Truly full of awe to live such a moment.

This week we will also celebrate my mother’s birthday. So many great people born this month! It will be another great day of celebration. Another great day of life.

It has become a popular phenomenon to write out a beautiful moment in your life here in the world wide web, and hash tag it, “blessed”. It is a wonderful thing that so many people out there are appreciating the little things in their lives. Of course, it gets abused, misused and overused. That’s the nature of us, after all. I still appreciate seeing people being thankful for what they have.

Happy even.

Blessed.

It’s those little things in our age of technology, plastics, fast services, instant gratifications, that make it come together in a way that no technology can do.

It is life.

Happening.

Consistent, but changing.

Always.