The Birthday Porch Vacation
It involved sun and birdsong, lilacs and a single purple iris. Joe was gone before I woke up, to a meditation retreat in town. When I saw the card and presents he left for me on the table, I thought, ‘I just might like presents wrapped more than I like them open.’ The mystery and shining possibility were qualities I wanted to savor, just like the quiet of the morning. After Mother’s Day, followed by first grandchild’s birth, and my own birthday right after that, I was ready to touch ground again and walk barefoot in my garden. I needed to land slowly and let myself be nostalgic, to look through photos albums of my sons when they were babies, let gratitude and sadness stir, and bittersweet tears rise. So many gifts. Did I have room to receive even more?
In The Meantime: In one of my son’s baby books, I discovered this transcribed exchange between my sons on my 40th birthday when they were ten and seven. Josh (jokingly): Mum, you’re getting old. Pretty soon we’ll have to call you Grandma. Dylan (adamantly): Oh, yeah, then why’s she still so pretty!”
Mara just called and asked me how old I was. “Old enough to be a grandmother,” I answered. More on that HERE. Other Sunday Scribblings written via the prompt “soar” are HERE, and a spoken word poem I wrote about turning 50 (posted on May 17th 2005) is HERE.
Comments
Happy Birthday, Grandma! :-)
Posted by: June | May 17, 2008 1:46 PM
sun and birdsong, lilacs and an iris - sounds perfect to me! Happy Birthday!
Posted by: Crafty Green Poet | May 17, 2008 1:51 PM
Can you believe my birthday is on the spoken word night? I hope the mud Mara is bringing to sling is chocolate on the cake.
Posted by: colleen | May 17, 2008 1:52 PM
May you have a wonderful birthday!!!! Good wishes going out to you from New Hampshire!
Posted by: Sara | May 17, 2008 3:26 PM
Grandma-land is a nice place to be, isn't it? This id a lovely meditative post.
Posted by: Granny Smith | May 17, 2008 3:50 PM
HAPPY BIRTHDAY! LUV YA
Posted by: Chrissie | May 17, 2008 5:45 PM
I like that it says puzzle- How will you ever top these days in a row?But you will..the first time he says Grandy??
Posted by: sandy k | May 17, 2008 6:37 PM
Happy Birthday and Congrats on your first grandchild! How wonderful, all good things! May they continue! :))
Posted by: lucy | May 17, 2008 7:50 PM
happy birthday, dear colleen!! love those presents.... i think i would feel the same about savoring them. i'm feeling ya on this post...
Posted by: bluemountainmama | May 17, 2008 9:24 PM
Happy Birthday, and many many more!
Posted by: terrilynn | May 17, 2008 9:55 PM
Colleen, I forgot to tell you happy birthday! I hope it was a very good one!
Posted by: kenju | May 17, 2008 10:56 PM
Happy Birthday, Colleen! Happy baby day ... happy grandma's day ... happy spoken word night ... delivered up for your birthday. Being a grandparent puts the whole world in a new perspective, doesn't it? One of my granddaughters graduated from high school today and was simply beautiful as she walked past me on her way to the stage ... and college ... and life. Welcome, as Granny Smith said above, to Grandma-land. Your grandson is beautiful, and so are his ten little toes!
Posted by: Bonnie Jacobs | May 17, 2008 11:52 PM
A very happy birthday and congratulations for being a grandma! I looked through the pictures. I find Bryce so very cute!
Glad Michele sent me here today although I got here a wee bit late!
Posted by: gautami tripathy | May 18, 2008 1:46 AM
Happy birthday to you. The men in your life are wonderful!
Posted by: Imelda / GreenishLady | May 18, 2008 2:40 PM
Thank you everyone for all the well wishes on this post and the one before this!
Posted by: colleen | May 18, 2008 4:42 PM
Happy pre-birthday. I love the way you celebrate your life and family! Hurray for another year on this great planet!
Posted by: On a Limb with Claudia | May 18, 2008 6:33 PM
And may you have many more happy and wonderful days!
Posted by: CountryDew | May 18, 2008 7:12 PM
What a wonderful birthday! After everything that's been going on, how were you able to return to earth & write this post? Best wishes for a wonderful week!
Posted by: anno | May 18, 2008 7:58 PM
You've only heard the half of it. I bounced up and down a few more times over the weekend of celebration. More to come...
Thank you all for all your well wishes on this post and the one below!
Posted by: colleen | May 18, 2008 8:49 PM
happy belated birthday! i have been away from the computer and just saw this. my mother's birthday is may 17th. :)
Posted by: sky | May 19, 2008 5:37 AM
Hope you had a fabulous day on your birthday! I'm thinkin' you did and enjoyed it immensely!
Posted by: Ruthr | May 19, 2008 4:01 PM
Sounds like a wonderful birthday! Enjoyed reading about it!
Posted by: texasblu | May 20, 2008 1:52 AM