A Virtual Church

Hart of my Heart

July 19, 2011

Your 17th birthday is on my mind and in my heart today. You were born on a hot, hot day that July 19th. We went to the hospital in both joy and anxiety for the day your mother and dad were going to have. Births are always risky, but worth it when the outcome is a beautiful boy like you have been from Day One. We, your Granddad and I, have watched you over the years.... the Batman Years, the Ninji Years. We have put play gasoline in your little plastic car and sat in many a ballgame. We have celebrated your victories and cried a little over your disappointments. The Diabetes Diagnosis was a shocking event for all of us. I remember that day, and a frantic drive to the hospital. By the end of that day you were giving yourself the insulin injections. Chronic illness can grow a boy up too quickly. We give thanks that you have negotiated all these years with health and grace, never complaining or playing the victim. Perhaps it is the growing up too fast that drives choices to slippery slopes. Or could it be this culture that is squeezing traditional roles and values into yesterday's news. Whatever it is, choice ultimately defines our lives. And certain choices can lead to narrowed options. Interesting life math... a kind of inverse proportion that we hardly realize is happening to us until it is too late. If I had a crystal bubble, I would put you - and your smart phone - in it to protect you for the coming years. I would take you to those places that would grow your faith and use your gifts and keep you safe as long as I could. I read a quote from Mary Oliver's poem, The Summer Day today: "Doesn't everything die at last and too soon? Tell me what is your plan to do with your one wild and precious life?" We do not know what our lives will hold. We only know this present moment in which we make decisions, all of which have consequences for good or for bad. I pray and will always pray good for you, Hart of my Heart. You are valued and loved more than you know. Happy Birthday. Love, Grandma

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