We are so proud of you and love you dearly, Justin!!
It's official. I've hit a milestone and nothing was more special to me than to share it with those most dear to me, withstanding out-of-town family members who couldn't be here, but who play consistently equally important roles in my evolution. While I plan on personally thanking those who have shared my most recent journey with me and those who have helped build yet another cherished set of sacrosanct memories, I just wanted to post publicly, the enormous well of gratitude that my heart holds for those who made me feel so special and loved. I also want to post a most special, heartwarming thank you to my wise, wonderful and insanely beautiful Mom who coordinated all the delicious and eye-dancing details of the gathering which I will hold dear to my heart forever. Mom is one of the most kind, devoted, patient, tolerant, trustworthy, selfless and loving souls I know. Mom unwaveringly demonstrates her love with consistency and an unconditional nature, and because of that, I am priviledged to have her as my most sacred and cherished confidant and touchstone. That is all the gifts I'll ever need. I just can't give her enough props for all she does to make the world a better place to be in. I would also like to publicly acknowledge and thank my Dad for not only sponsoring the event, but for both privately and publicly expressing his pride and love for me. Coming from a man who doesn't wear his heart on his sleeve, this is a huge deal to me and the gravity of his demonstration will never, ever get lost on me. Also, big thanks to my west-coast bro, Mike, for taking pictures with the "real" camera!! ;-) and for making me laugh so hard my sides hurt. Your sense of humor always makes my day. And my gorgeous Auntie Lynn Dee has given me many, many loving and happy memories throughout my lifetime, and to have her continue to do so has left me feeling extremely humbled and grateful beyond measure (we all missed you, Uncle Howie;-) And having my beautiful cousin, Jacks, with her wonderful husband, Drue and their fabulously handsome son, Maddox join in the festivities was a incredibly special treat for me. I was also extremely touched that long-time friends and dearest souls, Christie and Ellie, took time out of their crazy-busy lives to share this special ocassion with me as did their endearing counterparts, Mark and Greg respectively speaking (great to meet you, Greg;-) My heart was also so warmed by the presence of Susan and Schloss, and of course, it's not soon enough to see them all again!! And last but never least, warm love to my longtime best pal, Dina, for all the years we've known and looked out for each other and the virtual family we've built together as its consequence. The absence of my other bro, Greg, his wife Elizabeth, Uncle Glenn, Aunt Deb, Aunt Nancy, and my dear cousins and their families from the west coast were palpable by all. We also missed my Aunt Lynda and Uncle Jim who called during our dinner to participate from afar but were inadvertently overshadowed by the awesome mariachi band and solo artist that started serenading me. :(sorry about that guys!!) But after many a conversation, we know all of you were there in spirit. It's obvious my words fall short of aptly expressing my gratitude, but please at least know how extremely blessed I feel to share our journeys through life together. It has been such a pleasure to do so and I hope we have many, many more positive memories to build. So thank you, thank you, thank you for your presence, sentiments and gifts!!Most lovingly,
Mar ;-)
Thank goodness for the new geneology website my cousin Dan found for all of us because it rocks with family birthday reminders. I try really hard to keep track of it all, but hey, let's face it, it can be touch. I tend to remember Dan's birthday with greater ease though because he was born the day my Dad was. Today, my father turned 69 years old, and I can't believe I'm even typing in those numbers because it's so hard for me to imagine my parents growing any older. At any rate, the picture you see of my Dad in the left-hand column of my blog is the photo that sort of epitomizes my father's sense of humor. We all know he's never smoked a day in his life but he hammed it up for the paparazzi with a poorly-puffed stogie because Dad does whatever he can for a laugh...even if the laugh is disingenous in nature. ;-) This is just his way. And after all these years, he is still a unique soul, perhaps a free soul, who for his whole life, has placed his family's needs before his own. And even though he knows his superpowers are limited, he is constantly concerned about protecting our health and welfare. While my father can sometimes be hard to understand, his loyalty, good intentions, and idiosyncratic expressions of love for his family are crystal clear to me. This is why I am dedicating these songs to my father who in all his 69 years of living, has never wavered in his quest to play - for his family and the industry he serves, the difficult roles of The Knight in Shining Armor, Superman, and the all-around everyday Hero.
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