I Am A Grandmother - Trying to Capture Life

One of the joys of retirement is having a natural rise each morning.  But Friday night we decided we had better set the alarm!   The event?  An 8:00 am start to a Fund Raiser in Manhattan Beach, CA to raise money for the Richstone Family Center, a non-profit for abused women and children.  Hundreds would gather to walk from Pier (Manhattan Beach) to Pier (Hermosa Beach) in support this worthy cause.

Why did we go?  Well, we were not walking...but we were going to support the activity and to support our grandson, Gabriel, who had been invited to sing the National Anthem.

It is no surprise that we are Gabriel's greatest fans.  He is such a delightful little boy, so full of enthusiasm, wonder, empathy, and love that we just want to be around him.

Gabriel

And...he is growing up so quickly.  On his birthday in July he will be 11, so we want to capture all these special times with him.

The Walk-athon was an uplifting event.  As we walked down the hill toward the crowd gathering at the foot of the pier we could just feel the energy!  One of the many volunteers working feverishly to get banners in place and participants ready was a family friend, Karina Pacific.

Lovely Karina

She is a walking ray of sunshine...spilling her rays of optimism and "glass half full" philosophy on everyone around her.

We were entertained by a musical group who were upbeat and looked like maybe they have playing together since high school (a few years ago!)

The Mira Costa High School cheerleaders led some cheers to get the spirit flowing

and a young dance group,  performed while their leader sang a rap a cappella, "Get Your Grades Up!"!

Gabriel was the last one to climb the stage, to start the actual race with the National Anthem.  He looked as cool as a cucumber...walking calmly, taking his place, reaching for the microphone and beginning to sing with intent and focus.

Gabriel takes the stage

The entire audience was spellbound as he phrased his words with meaning and reached for those high notes.  Then at the end as he sustained "O're the land of the FREEEEEEEEE, and the home of the braaaave" the crowd exploded!  He did a fantastic job!

Afterwards to celebrate, we went to breakfast with his mom, Milli, his cousin, Keani and her boyfriend, Eric.

At the restaurant Gabriel called his dad who was traveling with the LA Kings to St. Louis for the first game of the second round of play-offs for the Stanley Cup. Mike hated missing his son's performance, but Gabe reassured him that I had taken a video of it with my camera!

Gabriel talking to his dad.

"But the best laid plans of mice and men..."   When I got home I discovered that the video was NOT on the camera.  I had done something wrong.  I felt such disappointment, as if I were watching the event circling and disappearing down the drain...LOST!  I wondered why I felt this extreme loss and I realized that within me is a strong desire to hold on to all that I hold dear.  I take pictures of everything...stopping people in midstride for just one more pose.

When Jay and I travel in Italy, my camera never leaves my hand and Jay asks me if I am going to view Italy through a lens finder or my eyes.  But I want to capture all of it and bring the entire vacation home with me in my pictures.  I am the family genealogist, hording the family stories, recording the events, saving the documents.  When my cousin, Fran, visited with me last week from Ohio, I pulled out manila envelopes of old pictures that we went through to recapture those times and those people we had experienced many years ago.

Family members tolerate my obsession and at times they are appreciative that I have these mementos and can share them.  Yes, it is good to honor the past but, in reality, life can't be captured and held on to.  Life flows, continually unfolding.  And...life passes.  So the loss of the video was a message to me...telling me to not cling so tightly...to stay in the moment.  Just be present.  Hear the sounds, see the sights, smell the aromas, feel the hugs...and trust that it will become a part of who I am in my memories and will not be lost.

As for today...Gabriel, we were so proud of you!!!  And...I still wish I had that video!