Jaci Dawn

I am sitting here and looking at my calendar. May.

Tomorrow my son-in-law, Sam, officially graduates from Bible College. He actually finished last autumn but they made him wait to receive his diploma with the rest of the class. the funny thing is, the rest of the class he started with graduated long ago. Sam achieved a 2-year degree over the course of four years. Or something like that. He got married, became a father, got a job, became a father again, lived with his in-laws, became a father AGAIN, and all the while he plugged along at Bible College.

Tomorrow he gets his diploma. And we are very proud of him. Congratulations, Samuel!

Thursday is Cinco de Mayo which means nothing to me except we will probably have a Mexican dinner. When it comes to food, I love diversity. Hey, I celebrate Chinese New Year, too.

Friday is Chrystal’s birthday. It’s a milestone birthday but not a Milestone birthday. She won’t be old enough to drink legally in Oregon. I remember her birth. I was a thousand miles away and only vaguely aware that my sister was pregnant. I had no idea when the baby was due. But I went to bed on the 5th of May and had a very vivid dream in the wee hours of the 6th. I dreamed about a baby girl that was born and a battle between good and evil in the room where she was born. I was in the room. That I remember well because in the end, the baby girl was handed to me. Little did I know that my sister gave birth to a baby girl that would be “handed off” to me in the future!

I was thrilled when I got the call that Chrystal had been born and I wrote the dream down.

May 6th is also the anniversary of the death of my dear sister-in-law’s oldest son, Jared. Jared drowned in 2009 in the wilds of Alaska and I know Julie still hurts with every anniversary and event.

Jared’s school picture.

The 8th is Mother’s Day.

The 11th is my childhood best friend’s birthday (Happy birthday, Lisa!).

The 12th is my Aunt Phyllis’ birthday. She’s my mother’s oldest sister.

The 15th was my sister’s birthday. She would have been 52. She didn’t live to be 41.

The 17th is my dear friend, Rosie’s birthday. Happy birthday, Rosie! (Sorry about the loss of your beloved fur-friend, Pepper. Dang.)

May 18 is the 31st anniversary of the cataclysmic eruption of Mt. St. Helens (two weeks before my wedding).

May 22 is my oldest child’s birthday. She was “due” on the 1st but she wasn’t ready. I was, but she wasn’t. Happy Birthday, Arwen!

The 24th is my youngest niece’s birthday. She will be 14. I can’t handle this. Her mother has been gone since 2000. She was just a baby. Happy birthday, Jessica!

The 26th is my sister-in-law’s birthday. Not the sister-in-law whose son died, but the older one. Happy birthday, Debby!

And the 30th is Memorial Day. A day to honor our fallen soldiers although some have taken it to be a day to honor our dead. I’m not picky: you celebrate it how you will. Just do not forget our fallen soldiers.

And then we’re into June and a whole ‘nother litany of dates I have to remember.