Silvio's Birthday

Here we are, our family, celebrating a birthday for one of our middle grandchildren. I am aware as I take this photo that our family is now the modern one. Seated around our table of sixteen people we have people of all colors and ages; we have gays and lesbians, single parents, step-parents, adopted people, and lots of different languages. We are firmly family and love these events. Everyone cooks and lends a hand. Dan fired up the grill for steaks and fish. Antonio caught many fish in our pond and everyone ate them with great relish, I made the birthday cake, and Maria made an excellent flan. My son Ben, made the loaves of bread, Andy made the potato salad and Diego, our fifteen year old grandson, moved all the tables together and set everything up so we could eat in unison. Pablo found waterlilies to grace the table. Tory helped all around. We picked greens from our garden for the green salad. We sat down together, replete with food and love.
This is Sylvio's day and I want to make it perfect. He hasn't been here in months and I have missed him so much. After dinner I announce that we must all go outside in the dark and play a raucous game of "Watcher in the Road", a traditional family game that involves running up and down the dirt road, lots of hugging, and 'strategy'! Silvio loves this, and so does Quincy, the youngest grandchild present. After a couple of rounds of this we walk back to the house and look at the stars so brilliant overhead and all of us feel replete with the good food and fun and love for each other. My husband and I hug each other in the dark, so blessed with this family that is nowhere what we ever thought it might be.
Later, I go with Silvio to the guest house where he is staying. He wants me to tell him a ghost story. We hunker down and I begin my yarn only to realize what a little guy he is, and I have to backtrack and say this is only a story, NOT true. But we have a wonderul conversation about how people make up stories. By the time I leave his eyes are closed and he is cosy under his covers.
How I love these grandsons! Pablo, the middle one, looks uncannily like Obama. His oldest brother, Diego, is my favorite because he is the oldest and the first under my heart and everyone knows this. But I am so blessed with them all!
It has been a few days of not being so obsessed with politics so it seems like a vacation.

My new book is out and you can order it online at Orders@xlibris.com. All proceeds will benefit SunFlower School in Gulfport, FL.