Birthdays

 

Paul 1957 looking tough

Two birthdays today both of which are major in my book. My younger brother Paul, who is five years younger than me and my granddaughter Jasmine who is a heck of a lot younger than me. My brother Paul fascinates me he always has. He is magic in his own way. I thought he was an interesting kid you always seem to be doing something with his hands. He had a great brain for the figuring things out. One of my favorite family stories is how when Paul was when he was either four or five figured out how to start the little international cub tractor we owned and drove the tractor and hay wagon almost all the way into the barn from out in the hay fields. He almost killed himself by sliding down the hay rack again when he was very small. He cut his head up pretty bad from that adventure. We had a weird ability with his hands sort of like the “bolt and nut whisperer”. He had the uncanny ability to work and not free using this fingers, again this is just when he was a little guy probably before he was eight or nine. Sadly, I was so involved with myself and Paul came around I was about six years old but I really didn't pay as much attention to he and his younger sister as I probably should. My older brother and I were kind of a team and we could of treated the younger kids a lot better than we did one of the many things I'm sure I will repent of at some point in time.

Sounds kind of mean but when Paul entered school I was about in junior high I sort of lost contact with him entirely as he began first grade. I wish now I had spent more time with them. I've always been amazed at his ability to work hard and make money and bring about his dreams. I'm so impressed that he and his wife own construction company (maybe more for all I know) in Idaho which is very successful. He builds mansions out of nothing at all. We're not as close as we once were or maybe we never were and I just thought we were. We visit sometimes either messaging are actually on the phone. We come together when there is a family reunion and I suppose funerals if and when they happen. But we live miles apart and go years between seeing each other. I think were even distant politically this last decade has been very bizarre on the political front. But like me Paul's now an old guy working at just staying alive…

Today is also Jasmine's birthday. I wish I knew her better for one reason or another we have not had much time together. I think that'll change for some reason the next couple years granted that I am gifted with a longer life. I'm lucky enough to see her three or four times a year usually around national holidays, Father's Day (she usually comes along with Mark Anthony when they stop in to visit for the day). It's exciting because she's becoming fully adolescent and losing that childhood shyness but some kids have around their grandparents. I may be speaking too soon but I think we are beginning to connect and that's kind of exciting. As I said Jasmine is deep and adolescence with all the storms and stress that adolescence brings everyone involved except grandparents… Usually. I look forward to being part of her life in some way with the days I have left.

Anyway, happy birthday you to and many more…