Happy Birthday, FlapJilly

Why did you decide to become a pitcher? I asked the birthday girl, a State Champion All Star softball player, a day or two before her Big Day.  

Well, it looked like fun.  (insert big smiles on both sides)

And, it's complicated.  

And I like complicated. 

So that's why.

The kid's mind is so interesting.  

She's got the story of her birth down pat, from her Mama and Gramma planting flowers the day before; to the early back pains; to her first action out of the womb - grabbing her mother's thumb.  

We three shared telling the story, they correcting my so-obvious-to-them errors, all of us smiling and laughing.  She ended with this:

And then I was born. 

And now I'm playing softball. 

The passage of time made clear to all of us.  

It was a moment.  We paused to appreciate that..... then they arrived at the 7-11 for their Slurpees.

They spent 8 hours at the beach on the actual anniversary of her birth. I spent the day remembering every moment of that day,  9 years ago, when she brought her own special joy into the world. 

Happy Birthday,  FlapJilly!!