“(We) Talk of poems and prayers and promises and things that we believe in
How sweet it is to love someone, how right it is to care
How long it's been since yesterday and what about tomorrow?
What about our dreams and all the memories we share?
The days they pass so quickly now, nights are seldom long
Time around me whispers when it's cold
The changes somehow frighten me, still I have to smile
It turns me on to think of growing old”
- John Denver
My mother, after a long battle with illness and dementia, passed away some seven years ago. She had struggled for a long time and by finally laying her to rest we hoped she would at last be at peace.
She was to be cremated. Most of her family lived in Abilene, Texas. When she was well, she would spend every vacation in Abilene and it felt right to bury her there. I thought I would arrange a celebration gathering and working with Colleen we would secure a place to meet in town.
Air BnB was still a novel thing then. Colleen found a “Hunting lodge” that could accommodate 15 to 20 people and we booked it.
Little did we know at that time the “lodge” would have on its walls over 200 stuffed animal trophies! They were arranged in a life like manner all staring at you with dead glass eyes. The sheer volume of taxidermy overload was staggering. It was amazing and obscene in its excess all at the same time.
It was vintage Texas.
Chris, my eldest son, arrived before us. We came into the room stunned at the horrible menagerie and Chris, who has always been very quick witted, pointed at one of the many decapitated heads and declared,
“Look Father! I shot that on my naming day!”
It was hilarious and I still remember the quip all these years later. His joke took all the silliness of this room and made it acceptable. And we celebrated my Mom.
Naming day - what a wonderful tradition.
“The name we received from our parents may be the most valuable possession we have. It discerns us from others, and it shapes our personalities and individuality. In many cultures and countries around the world, there is a celebration of someone’s name every day of the year. Many cultures call this celebration a Name Day.” - Anonymous
I think like most people you hope that your life, however small, will make a mark in this world. Like some enormous Jackson Pollack painting, a small brush stroke of color is yours alone to claim. It lasts forever.
Children are those brush strokes. They carry your name into their generation and beyond. From that sapling, a great tree will grow. Your name will touch countless people, most of whom you will never meet. It is a way to reach for immortality as time begins to whisper that your own years are growing shorter. Children are to be treasured and celebrated as gifts from God.
Because that is what they are.
The Road to Bali was started to mark our journey into the Fall of our lives. Whether it was a special trip or some other life event the blog was always about recognizing and appreciating milestones.
Today is such a landmark.
As I type this our eldest son Christopher Sean Dobbs and his beautiful wife Emily are in the hospital. Emily is in labor with their first child.
In the coming hours Colleen and I will move from a young couple who liked John Denver songs in college to being grandparents for the first time. We could not be more happy. We do not know the name yet, but that is ok.
Soon, there will be another naming day.
And somewhere I know my mother is weeping with joy.
Postscript -
At 8:26pm a 5'10" baby boy was born on April 11, 2022. Mother and baby are both healthy and well.
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