Zen Dinosaurs

qzen42 feels

Total Harmonic Convergence

Today was Calvin's 1st day of 1st grade. I walked him to the bus. He got on, looking sleepy, but otherwise ready to face the day. After school, we walked over to MickeyD's, with several stops to inspect bugs along the way.

Today was Brianna's 1st overnight with her birth Mom. And here I sit, not missing the diapers, but missing her intensely. She has muddled her way into my heart. It is amazing to think we have had her in our life for over 9 of her 13 months. We have seen her sit up, pull up, cruise and take her 1st few tentative steps. We have celebrated a birthday. We have heard her babble and watched recognition spread across her face as we talk and coo at her.

I have learned ever so much about foster parenting and parenting. Woody Allen is right. 90% of life is showing up. While we were on our annual Labor Day camping trip with friends from our church, the UUCLV ( www.uuclvpa.org) I had the chance to rock Brianna to sleep each night while we sang around the campfire. One night, as she cradled in my arms, she gazed up @ me, all dreamily, as babies often do, but her eyes burned into my soul. It was the glow of the campfire that made her so radiant. It was the smokey pine smell. It was the 1st chill in the early September air. It was the almost ritual ballads, sung quietly but passionately. Mi Padre.

For a moment, the Universe held its breath. The planets aligned.

What about those Barkin' Spiders ( http://www.getodd.com/stuf/stupid/spider/spider.html ) [soon to be a Yahoo! group]? We started life as Young UU's, but when several of us slid over the event horizon of 35, we searched for a new name, since we could not officially retain the Young UU moniker. Next up was the UU Somethings (fashioned after 30 Something) but the name never really achieved enough cachet to stay. Then, whilst camping @ Kenshire Kampground ( http://pavisnet.com/kenshirekampsite/ ) near the Grand Canyon of PA( http://www.visittiogapa.com/grandcanyon.html ), Kirk, a charter member, introduced us, rather noxiously, to the term. Days later, Kat (another charter member) and I were playing Frisbee golf at nearby Jordan Creek park, when we stumbled across the Barkin' Spiders Frisbee club. The karma was too profound to ignore. We had our name.

Strolling back from MickeyD's last night, watching Calvin watch the Universe, I realized what a gift my Tai Chi instructor has given me. The ability, when I really try, to be here now. I was just there with him, inspecting a beetle muddling across the sidewalk. I can visualize him crouched down on his haunches, all snips and snails and puppy-dog tails. And I loved it.

Life is full of transitions. Rites of passage. Hellos. Goodbyes. Don't get so caught up in the story of the moment that you miss the moment.

breathe.
evolve.
laugh.