Birthdays, watching change; Happy birthday D'Vante Edwards

Yes, today Godson D'Vante is having another birthday... the years have managed to run by from once sitting at my table with the innocence of a babe, happy happy little guy to this day when he turns the age of >19 < 
Happy Birthday Godson! Neil Armstrong was born on Aug 5, Chris Reeves as well ~
 Marilyn Monroe died on Aug 5... and so much more I am sure.
 D'Vante was born ... maybe I need to send him to the moon? Our thing was "love you to Pluto" so you can only imagine we were crushed when someone decided to take Pluto away... maybe that is really when our relationship began to shift, distance or change... It's someone in NASA's fault. Bring back Pluto!
Destined I think to be a lawyer, that boy has always loved to argue or have the last word... seems like a career carved out I always have thought!

Sure do miss those years where joy filled you, when you loved every little pleasure as most if not all little ones do... from sunsets to finding shells on the beach or bubbles were just the neatest thing in the world. Troubles were something that never enters the mind of the youngsters, decisions involved peanut butter and jelly and whether to cut the sandwich into 4 squares or on an angle. Stories were always told to the delight and wide eyed wonder whether face to face or by phone, listened to with "awe" moments as children grow and use the golden rule to establish their own minds, values, rules to live by. Respect has been earned, trust established as fun times usually continue through life with wonder... as we watch hopefully the eaglet spread its wings and soar to heights we can only dream about...

  We look up or blink our eyes as the years shock us, the shoe size grows the heights soar... no longer the little ones, but growing bodies as brains develop and hormones surge, opinions form and teen years grow into the "know it all do it all see it all" behaviors of youth. The close bonds that once were become distant texts, photos shared and at times we wonder where did that person go... they are falling out of the nest quicker than we can watch or place them back in to continue the lessons as we teach, develop patience and they continue to want to soar into their size, their peers, their future.

Birthdays come/go, the used to be gifts of Toy Story men, those affordable things once that delighted are no longer affordable and attainable; the wish lists now are of things that money is made of thanks to the mainstream media and big rappers/celebrities and high style living dreams. The disappointments are higher than the realities of life, a card sometimes falls short of wishes on a day, the amazement and the shock of the world along with fears are enough to baffle the brain.

Yet youth is "invisible" as the mind continues to grow, mood swings are better than the fastest swing set ever or the scariest roller coaster to be enjoyed, youth sweet youth. I remember you! But the stakes were not so high back then, the safety around us seemed a normal way of life back then. IT Was a normal world then.

Now ? Not so much so. We have to worry, wonder, pray that our youth will outlive their antics, their invincible times with friends, peers, as they celebrate, as they gather, as they make their mistakes and choices. As they distance from those they know they can trust and distance from family to develop into self.

   We pray they don't get "played", pulled into something they cannot get out of, that they pick wisely, that they feed the right wolf. We hope they live the life they were taught in fundamental thought, respect, honor and integrity. We hope for them a life better than we have had, we build the foundation for them, while knowing it is up to them to build their own house on that very foundation. We can guide if they let us, but we cannot do it for them or then we become enablers, and that will not work out in the long run for them or for us.

We celebrate their victories, we mourn their downfalls...  we wish for them all the best, all the joys, we hope as hard as we can ... we pray they will work the plan.

 We want birthday's to be awesome while knowing that there will come a point that "we are not" the birthday magic, the friends are! From celebrations and cakes, shiny packages... we become a card that they hope has green stuff to fall out upon the opening. They hope to get it over quick, a hug and out the door where the real party begins, as we pray there will be no drinking or drugging and the right choices will be made. Life begins a new year in a new light... Birthday's and the reflection of a life to date, memories ... times spent, words actions, dreams of futures.... and all that jazz.

 Memories are good to hold onto, as sometimes they are all that we have in the current times that we want to see, times of Donald Duck flexing a little boney feather vs. D'Vante and his "guns" in Disney. Times of letting him drive a Lexus on a country road when he was maybe 11 and feeling like he owned the world...  times of meeting at the airport when he was two, rushing to see me, me to him, both of us landing in the floor with sheer joy, giggles, hugs him on top of me, soooo happy to be together once again.  Those are the times that fill the soul on this 19th birthday, when the soon to be man has now moved in to the body of the gentle one that was once known to the heart ...
so long ago... to one who likes to fish, who is solitary in thoughts... to one who is and has changed .... from the days of snuggles, to a mighty fierce football player, to someone who seldom has contact he has flown, now a young man who is doing his thing

 Today he celebrates his birthday; his friends I am sure have celebrated him this past weekend, will celebrate him this week. 
He is now 19, he lets us know since the big 18 he is "now grown". May the year be wonderful for him, may the rules, responsibilities, resplendent love of life be his. Once a Godson, always a Godson, may he know the love.

From that cuteness of him in the beginning of this blog, to his now favored Facebook picture that I "hate"... 

 Happy Birthday Godson. May the wisdom of this birthday seep into your brain allowing you to be more than this picture.
 “You're off to Great Places!
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting,
So... get on your way!”[Dr. Seuss]

Phillip (one of D'Vante's friends Dad) and a happy D'Vante in Florida! they just had to pick on a little crab... guess Hunter the fisherman took that picture. NOW that is a great profile picture for the Godson, along with many a thousand I have taken over the years with shine in his eyes and his body looking as though he is alive....


Happy Birthday to all of the August ones ...

As we move into this month, and for my Godson's birthday brain a quote of MLK today:

Walk in beauty,
DRSES