The number six

As of now, I have 6 published feature articles, 6 functional teeth and a Fun Fair coming up on the 6th day of the 6th month of this year!

It is not really the number that has me preoccupied, it is everything else. Just trying to find some common thread between all the busy stuff in my life!

It is only a local magazine with a readership of 3000 households; however I feel like I have achieved a milestone of sorts with 6 feature articles under my belt. It has been a wonderful learning experience. The best part has been this one particular reader who doesn't receive the magazine and gets it specially delivered by her daughter. My mom has my one and only copy of each issue. I know for a certainty that she has actually read all 6 of them. My mom has been the toughest on me all through my life and she is also been the most proud of each and every feature I have written. For all that she has done for me, I am happy to reciprocate in a small way.

If there is pleasure in life, it needs to be balanced out with some pain.

So, here comes the sob story part of this post! Last week, I had the second part of my dental surgery done and it left me with 6 functional teeth tucked away in the right side corner of my mouth - 3 on the top and 3 on the bottom. Eating has been a miserable activity. This is one life lesson I will not forget too soon. Most likely, Hans will need braces and I already feel the pain he will feel. However, the pain will be Hans' and I hope I can adequately support the boy.

And that's mostly what I have been doing lately … supporting people. After hosting the Fun Fair twice with my then friend G, I had to take a backseat this time around. It is Hans' last year at his public school and I want to support all succession planning. It has been a frustrating couple of weeks. I got to learn that I am a better doer than an enabler. There have been days I wanted to tell the current Fun Fair team to step aside and let me do it! There has been a crazy amount of hand holding and spoon feeding. I am learning to breathe and let go.

The 6th day of the 6th month is not just the Fun Fair; it is also my dad's 69th birthday. I need to put that in perspective. This is a man who has always made me feel like a million bucks. So, on that day, I will enjoy the Fun Fair, thank the new team for a job well done and go celebrate my dad.

I will write 6 or more features in the future and I will have a fully functional mouth next week. The pleasure and the pain will continue their intertwined and complex appearances in my life. It will all be temporary each and every time.

"six six six is the number of the beast" are the lyrics from an Iron Maiden song my brother listened to all the time as a teen. Sometimes, we would equate that to my dad as he was born on the 6th of June, 1950. Not everyone will understand why! But the man is far from any such connotation. Life is actually a beast and it is wonderful to experience its inherent beauty through people like my dad.
 

2 days to 22 and the 11th!

Hans will be 11 on the 22nd! In September, he will be in middle school. Within the proverbial blink of an eye, he has become a "big boy"!

Hans is definitely at a better place in his life. Although he still does not quite have a friend at school, he has been engaged in various activities and been mostly positive.

What has he done since he turned 10?!

Hans was in House League Hockey for a third straight season. His confidence improved tremendously. He tried out for Select League and will be an alternate player next season. Craigley was concerned that the boy may be dejected by an offer to be an alternate player; however, Hans reacted with the following:

“Baby steps mom! And I am getting a jersey with my name on it!”

Ash 22 has arrived! 

Hans goes by Ash now. That's his chosen moniker for himself. Even Craigley has started using it.

What else has the boy done?!

He is completing his 7th year of Art lessons. He had this to say about Michaels the other day:

“I found my new Toys R Us!”

The boy is growing up in more ways than one. Recently, one of ASid's friends tried to enlighten the boy about the benefits of working hard. Hans casually brushed him off by saying that, “It’s OK! I am average!".

The boy is anything but average. He is acutely aware of the world around him. He knows his strengths and weaknesses. He is very accommodating of his loved ones. People take advantage of him and he is OK with that!

My brother remarked more than once that Hans reminds him of me. And I consider that a compliment to me!

For his birthday, Hans requested a dinner, a movie and a sleepover with Kay's son. Kay is my "new" friend from the paternal ancestral land. The boys had a fun time. Today, I am recovering from it all!

2 days from today, Hans will be 11. Can't wait to find out what he does this upcoming year! Meanwhile, my fond wish for Hans is to find a friend who will appreciate him and cherish him. Middle school is a crazy place and it would be wonderful to have a pal to help Hans navigate through it.
 

Momley's Blessings

Today, I went to grab a coffee and Hans tagged along. The lady who works there asked him what he did for his mother. Hans gave me a big hug and told the lady that he gave his mother hugs! There were a couple of mothers in the shop who exclaimed that those are the best! I let them all know that he is a good boy and they all exclaimed that that is even better than the best!

Last Thursday, I was up early to wake up ASid early as he was attending the Science Olympics at the University of Guelph and needed to be at school by 6:45 am. I was a little upset with him for running a little late. I think I actually proclaimed to him how I would be there 5 or 10 minutes early!

I try not to do that - compare myself to my kids; but I did it anyways.

I did not see ASid that evening as Hans had his Spring Concert at school that evening and it got delayed. We went out for dinner. ASid sent me a note that he was tired and he would like to skip dinner and go to bed! So, we didn't pick up ASid for dinner and then, I saw the boy next day morning. He told me that his team won second place in some category and he got a gift card to Chapters/Indigo. I was happy for him.

ASid gave the gift card to me and said that he wanted me to have it!

Today, my brother hosted brunch at his home for the 4 ladies in his life - his mother, his sister, his wife and his mother-in-law! Bambino tries to accommodate all of us. It is not an easy task. After the brunch, he was sick with a headache and an earache! I wasn't surprised. This is a man, although he will always be my baby brother, who puts everyone else ahead of himself. 

My brother is thoughtful beyond expectations.

Today is Mother's Day.

How do I count my blessings? I will start with Bambino, ASid and Hans …