The Circle of Life

We have eagerly been awaiting a special arrival. 

Last night while these two were sleeping...

(They did not spend last night in their carseats in the truck. I just love this photo of them conked out after a recent outdoor adventure.)

...the tribe increased. 

Welcome, Other Brother, to the Rising Generation!

I see lots of snuggling and kissing coming your way. 

Back in the olden days (1977) I gathered round the television with my family every weeknight for a couple weeks in the dark of winter to watch the original broadcast of the dramatization of ROOTS, an important family history written by Alex Haley. The blessing of a baby takes place early in the first episode when Omoro holds his newborn son up to the night sky and says, "Kunta Kinte, behold. Meet the only thing greater than yourself."

A few years ago I reached out to my father during an extraordinarily difficult period in our family and I wrote to him about how I wanted to give bouquets to the living rather than send flowers to a funeral. Among other things I thanked him for sharing with me, from the time I was his tiny girl, the wonder of the moon and the stars, and I told him I would stand under the night sky when his life was over, and I would look up and find him there.

He loved every infant born to our family. He rocked and talked to them each. He would rock and talk to this one, but his life ended just days ago.  

So tonight I will go out and tell the sky how much I love this newborn baby boy, and each of the babies in our care. I will rock them and talk to them. And on starry nights in the future we will talk about Looking Up, and we will talk about Ancestors, and we will talk Coming and Going, and we will talk about How We Are All Connected.