More Gifts!

Brain cancer is...

 ...still celebrating.

Today was our two-person Christmas.  We opened the gifts under to the tree from friends (as in our awesome Big Bear masks and earrings, above).  

 

We also opened gifts from us to ourselves (as in Darrell put bows on our replacement tiny Corelle bowls).  Who knew we needed so many tiny bowls?

But our Christmas-for-two wasn't the first celebration of the day.  Here was the first:

These birds on our heads are for you, Alex!  Happy Birthday!  (And thanks for launching this new celebratory tradition:  Head birds!)

Here's Alex in 1989 on his first birthday, before head birds were a thing:

(In this pic, Darrell is 29 and Andi is 27.  Too young to make better hair choices, mayhaps.)

Alex is the focus of the title of this post. 

In considering the gifts granted to those in our family, here's what we think:

• Some gifts we have been born into (our privileges).
• Some gifts we are born with but need careful cultivation to make them useful to the world.
• Some gifts we are born with are rare and precious gems that shine for the world with the same intensity as on the day we are born.

Alex's rare and and precious gift is his love of life and of every human on earth.  From the beginning of his life Alex has been smiling and appreciating the best in people.  We can't remember him ever saying an angry word. 

And strangers are merely friends he hasn't met yet.  When he was five Alex walked down the beach at LuAnn's place in Baja California, counting in Spanish.  Why?  Because he wanted to make friends with the kids in the sand, and the numbers 1 though 10 were all the Spanish he had then.

On the night before he registered for high school classes, with me being a cool mom and all, I asked him whether he'd like me to just drop him off.  He looked at me aghast and said, "Why wouldn't I want you to come with me?  You're my peeps!"

Later in high school, his teachers would shake their heads in wonder and remark that Alex had friends in every social group. No sticking with a single clique, regardless of status.

Alex, the sunshine you spread is a gift to every person you meet.  We love you and are so very grateful for the gift of you.

Here's to the gifts of each other!

Today's Bloom

Snowflake or Thai Basil?

 (PS:  We're posting early today to give you enough time to eat your game-day cheese before the Packers play.)