Graduation Magic

The high school graduation of your child is magic! It's proud, exciting, happy, exhausting, expensive, and heart-breaking all at the same time. Today, I am physically, mentally, financially, and emotionally exhausted. But, I am so, so, so proud! What a wonderful daughter I have in so many ways.

The ceremony itself wasn't anything extraordinary. In fact, it was probably like hundreds of ceremonies across the country. But something interesting did happen. First, though, I need to explain. My grandma was a watercolor painter and liked to paint birds. After she passed away, I read a story about a lady who believed that her mother visited her in the form of a butterfly. Everytime she saw a butterfly, she felt it was her mother. One day, right after Grandma died, I was sitting in the cafe at work by the window and a little bird kept knocking against the window - like it was trying to get my attention. When I really looked at it - it looked just like the chickadees my grandma used to paint! So, I got it in my head that my grandma was visiting me in the form of a bird. Right before the graduation ceremony started, there was a slight commotion and many people in the audience started pointing to a bird flying around the arena. To them, it was a funny distraction. But to me, it was so much more. It was Grandma. She loved Mackenzie so much - I knew she just had to be there!

Happy Birthday Header

Yesterday I turned 45. There's not much magic about turning 45 or the thought of getting older. As in past years, I spent my birthday on the soccer fields at a weekend tournament. Some people might not think that's a great way to spend a birthday, but for me it is. I love it. There's not much else I'd rather do. This year is especially meaningful because it's probably my last Memorial Day/Birthday soccer tournament and probably my last soccer tournament period. Alex says he isn't going to play soccer anymore. But this weekend he was awesome. He scored 3 goals and two were beautiful headers on a corner kick. One of those was on my birthday and it was the game winning goal! It also gave them the win they needed to go to the championship game! He also played awesome defense. I really saw him grow in confidence this weekend. Now, he says he doesn't know what he's going to do next fall. So, maybe there's an inkling of hope it's not totally over! But, he has to do what makes him happy. Whatever happens, though, his playing this weekend and the championship for the team made my birthday magic!

Writer Unblocked

When I was in seventh grade we had to write several kinds of poems and make a poetry book. One of my favorite types of poems was the Acrostic poem where you write a word vertically and start the beginning of each line of the poem with each letter of the word. The poems are usually very succinct. I wrote one acrostic poem with the word SPRING -

Soft
Pitter-pattering
Rain
In a
Newly blossomed
Garden

My teacher told me I should get it published someday. A few weeks ago I saw an ad for a writing contest sponsored by the Westerville Library as part of Celebrate the Arts month. I decided to enter the contest with that poem but I felt like it wasn't enough so I wrote an acrostic poem for each of the four seasons. Yesterday I got a call that I am a finalist in the contest. I get to go to the Westerville Library in a couple of weeks where they will announce the winners and we get to read our work. The paper is going to be there, too, and all entries will be bound in a book! I think this means I will either get 1st, 2nd, 3rd or Honorable Mention. No matter what I'm really excited to be a finalist and my poems will be published in the book! I feel like it's a dream come true in a small way - just to have a little tiny success as a writer! I always liked to write poems and I always thought it was something I was pretty good at. It makes me think of my Grandpa Sarver who liked to write poems. I think he'd be proud!

Gold Skies At Night

"Red skies at night, sailor's delight." But what does it mean if the sky is gold? I haven't written in awhile. I guess I haven't been looking for the magic. But tonight, it forced itself on me with an "in-your-face" dazzling gold sunset Driving home, the sunset teased me from behind, forcing me to constantly look in my rear view mirror. This sunset was golden - no trace of red or orange - just pure, deep, shiny gold. I don't think I've seen a sunset that was just one color like that and so intense. Maybe it was extra intense because we haven't seen the sun much in a long time. The light reflected off all the buildings on Polaris Parkway making them golden glowing towers of light. It was really incredible. "Gold skies at night - pay attention to the light!"

Fast Forward

When Mackenzie was little I used to see this lady all the time walking around Westerville, at the park, at the library, etc. with her little baby girl in a papoose carrier. They intrigued me because they looked so Scandanavian. Both the mom and little girl had blonde hair and really pink cheeks. I heard the mom talk once and she definitely had an accent. The little girl was a doll baby and dressed in little Scandanavian looking clothes and hats. I saw them everywhere! Time went on and I didn't see them anymore but really didn't think about it. Then, today, I was at the library and I saw the mom and daughter. The mom looked the same but the daughter, of course was all grown up. She is probably a year or two younger than Mackenzie and was a good 5'5 or 6" tall. But, she still had the same face and ruddy red cheeks. It was such a weird feeling of "fast forward!" I mean, it's probably been at least 15 years since I've seen them. I don't even know their names but I felt I knew them. I really wanted to go up and tell them "I used to see you guys all the time when she was a baby." But, I'm sure they'd think I was really weird!

A Brand New Day?

Today Barack Obama was sworn in as our 44th president. It was amazing to see the millions of people croweded in the Mall in Washington DC. The news showed clips of people around the world celebrating. There is just such a hope from everyone - especially young people - that he is the person who is going to save our world. It's also amazing to see the faces of African-Americans as they watch a black man become President - the day after we honored the birth of Martin Luther King. There is such hope and pride and a sense of victory. Yet there are those who are not celebrating today. They think he's too inexperienced. They think some people may have voted for him just because he's black. They are scared when they hear his full name - Barack Hussein Obama. I don't know what I think yet. I want to believe in the magic but worry - have we put this man on a pedestal? Has the world built him up too much and made him into their savior? What an awesome weight is on his shoulders. He faces war, economic problems like we haven't seen in decades, terrorist threats, and building tensions in the Middle East. But, I'm praying and pulling for him to fulfill the hope that the world has pinned on him - hope for better times, hope for peace, hope for equality and freedom, and hope for goodness in our leaders. Time will tell. For today, I'll hold those incredible images I saw of people coming together in hope. I don't think I've ever seen or felt anything like it.

A New Outlook

I couldn't get on the computer yesterday to share the magic of being able to see clearly again! Because of an eye problem, I had to use some medication and couldn't wear my contacts for about 2 weeks. I ordered new glasses so I could see without the contacts but they were the wrong prescription. I wore them for a week thinking I just needed to get adjusted from wearing contacts all the time. Then, when it was clear they were wrong, I had to wear them another week until the right ones came in.
So, for 2 weeks my vision was all out of whack. It made me nauseous and dizzy, and I couldn't drive at night (and hardly during the day, either). I felt like I could hardly function and I was SO frustrated. Yesterday, I got the new glasses with the correct prescription. When I put them on, things were better but not perfect. But, when I got the OK to wear my contacts again and put them in - HALLELUJAH!!! I could see SO clearly! It truly was magic to get my vision back. The world looks sharp and I feel so much sharper!