Happy Birthday: Riff Celebrates Five Years

Five years and 2 hours ago, my husband and I welcomed Riff to the world. There are not words to express the joy I experienced at that moment nor the joy I continue to experience every moment he spends with me.

There is no other exactly like him. He is a blessing; a precious miracle gift. His beautiful heart shows in wide smiles and infectious giggles. As he continues to grow his personality evolves. Today, his interests include dancing, watching and playing sports, music, police cars and anything with buttons.

He is still too young to appreciate the words I string together in his birthday cards declaring my unconditional love. I didn't appreciate the depth of this love from my own mom until I became one myself.

As I continue in the triumphs and challenges of parenthood, I realize there are no others that have taught me so much about life, love, people, and myself. Both of my children enrich me.

At some point, the rest of the world will see and know what I already do. Riff is exceptional. He is love and so very special.

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Get a Grip: Stay on the Bright Side

Yesterday, I stepped into my local Kinko's/FedEx store. The blue skies and warm sunshine had me on the bright side where time was my friend and people were smiling. I was still mentally humming Black-Eyed Peas' Missing You while thinking about Sanders, the next stop on my errand list.

My stay was intended to be brief: a run-in, run-out kind of deal. I was blind to the invisible, dark, Grinch-like forces amassing to the right of my self-serve copy machine.

As my copies ejected, I glanced around. The impatient lady waiting in line hovered. She was ready to pounce as I prepared to leave. Unfortunately, my credit card became stuck in the card reader.

Signaling a Kinko's employee for help, I held my breath. Despite the reality of my card being inside the card reader, I searched through my purse. After all, it is the holiday season. Perhaps Neptune, the elf, my family recently adopted, would put a thumb up his nose to make my card magically reappear.

Neptune's magic didn't work. So, I succumbed to reality and sat my purse on the work counter to my right. My credit card was stuck in that reader. Time was no longer my friend. Minutes clinked off the clock.

Then, as if my situation wasn't dire enough, the impatient line-waiter transformed herself. Venom shot from her eyes.

She shouted, "Will you please get your stuff off of my counter?"

Get a grip my inner voice said. Then, as an added buffer to the Grinch-like darkness swirling to my right, there was a happy, smiling woman to my left.

She said, "Look at the beautiful, bright sunshine. Isn't it a perfect day. I'm taking an extra long lunch."

I sucked in all the snarky, anti-holiday comments I was about to hurl at the Grinch lady and said, "You're right. It is a beautiful day. Enjoy the extra long lunch."