on family

yesterday i was invited to have dinner with my godfather and his family. they are vacationing in san diego right now and are staying at a place that's about two minutes from my apartment in pb. i have two godparents - a godmother and a godfather, whom are not related but know each other. i've only seen my godmother a handful of times in my life. it's my godfather who has done the best job of being a godparent. he always remembers my birthday and he sends me letters and e-mails from time to time to find out what i'm up to. and last night he invited me to dinner with his family and their friends. and he took introduced me to every single person that i didn't know, each time referring to me as his goddaughter, which is weird because i don't get introduced with that title much. but he made me feel like a celebrity, like something special. and, oh my goodness do i love his family! he has five children, all younger than me, each so wonderful and beautiful. i look at his family and think - that's the kind of family i want. not that i don't love my family, of course. but whenever i'm around my godfather and his children, i can see what a great father he is to them. and how his children play together and love each other. five kids is a lot, but somehow he has made time to have a special relationship with each one of them. whenever i'm around their family, i feel joy and warmth. i think perhaps i enjoy being around my godfather so much because he reminds me of my own father. they were best friends at u of a so that would make sense, i guess...that they would be alike. i feel lucky to have a godfather like him.

last night was wonderful. homemade chili and cornbread. root beer floats. sitting outside watching the sun sink under the ocean's horizon. listening to the adult's conversation and laughter....and participating whenever i could. being with "family". i have to admit, it's been a little hard for me being in san diego this summer rather than in texas, missing my own family. but last night helped me feel a little bit better. i feel blessed.

on thunderstorms

last night i just laid in my bed, gazing out my window at the thunderstorm that was rolling in. the lightning was incredible, mesmerizing. so powerful. you know that trick they taught you as a kid? to figure out how far away the thunderstorm is? wait for the lightning, then count mississippi-wise until you hear the thunder. the shorter the time in between, the closer the storm. yeah, i lay there doing that last night, although i don't know if it was actually working because the lightning seemed to be all over the place. and remember how people would say that thunder is God bowling up in heaven? i still think about that every time i hear thunder.

i love thunderstorms in the summer. pure nature. awe-inspiring. and one reason why i love Texas.