Swinging in the Rain..

'Tis the season for graduation parties and the onset of summer. My daughter brought home her yearbook last week signifying the end of another school year. After she finished pouring over it, I sat down to look through it. It's always fun to put a name to the faces of the drama. (She's 14 and there is nothing but these days.)

My favorite part of any yearbook (next to the Homecoming Royalty spread) is the seniors and their quotes. Some cryptic, most cliche, and a handful of originals. I searched for kids I knew and what they had to write about the world-what words inspire them.

I came upon an original (at least I think it is. If they are song lyrics that I'm not hip enough to know-my bad).

"I laugh until my abs hurt, swing in the rain, and paint pictures in purple."

I know this child (or her parents) and if she didn't write these words, they sure sum what I know of her to a tee.

Her graduation card above, inspired by her words.

I don't think we had quotes in our senior yearbook. If they did, I think I would have had to use a cliche. The original probably would not have made it past the editors.

Funny how you grow out of that 18 year old self. For some of us, it's a good thing. For others of us, well, we probably had our peak lives in high school.


So paper crane wish #2 goes to Rachael. (As you can see, I've a few to give away.) First,that this NOT be the peak of her life-just the beginning. And second, that she always find laughter, never be scared to get wet, and to paint in whatever color she wants.

Birthday-Itis

"Birthday-itis"--a word commonly used in a household of 6 children. It is the jealousy that children feel when it is not their birthday. I haven't had it since 1985 when my baby sister received "Norma Jean".

Cabbage Patch Kids were a black market commodity those days and I dreamed of taking mine for a walk in her stroller or to the park in her baby carrier. Little sister got one first and I was pissed. ("Jacobina Genny" eventually found her way to our house but by then the sting of baby "Lola" having one first was over.) "Norma Jean" eventually suffered a broken-off crayon to the brain, split mouth (due to the retrieval of the broken crayon) and an unhealthy looking ink rash to her cheeks.

I am 34 today. My parents, thankfully, refrained from their yearly 6 a.m. birthday call and allowed me to sleep-in on a Saturday. (It was 8:00). (They've never missed a year for me but poor baby "Lola" somehow got missed this year. What goes around comes around, eh? :))

For the record, I'm sure they are still feeling guilty about this. Mom/Dad if you're reading-it's ok, we still love you, baby "Lola" included.

Anyways, you'd think by now a few lessons have been learned. At 2, my mother reminds me, of my independent spirit by quoting my two-year old defiant self, "No, I amn't."

At 34, I've lost her somewhere and need to say "No, I amn't" more often. That 2 year old self that wouldn't compromise her wishes for anybody (or anything.) The self that understood happiness was nothing more than a sunny day. The one who loved to walk through dewey grass and looked at the patterns it made on her shoes.

There are at least 3 things that I do know:

-Unanswered prayers are not always a bad thing.

-When you become a parent, your heart no longer resides in your body.

-Pick your battles. They're not all worth fighting.

Others Who Create

I've no profound lessons today. Only a few artists that I love..that inspire (there's that word again)and say things better than I can.

Story People

Kristin Jongen