reyes-chow :: FAITH

Happy Birthday Eldest

How the heck did this happen?  It seems as only yesterday that Robin and I were welcoming to the world our first child and then all of a sudden  . . . BAM . . . we have a 12-year-old.  Someone is getting old ;-)

Now I won't get all mushy and start humming the refrain to my fav cheesy parent songs* but as we tell all of our kids, "Mom and dad reserve the right to get weepy as we see our babies get all old and stuff" AND when it comes right down to it, they will ALWAYS be our babies.

Eldest, you continue to make your parents proud of the person you are and are becoming.  I have no doubt that God rejoices at the choices you make in life, both large and small, and your mom and I pray that you continue to grow into who God hopes you to become. 

Happy birthday sweetheart, have a great day!

* Butterfly Kisses, All-American Girl, Beautiful or Just the Two of Us

PBS Kids Go rawks the vote as well

I voted this AM and will post my reflections in a bit. But before I did that, I wanted to share this cool little tidbit. This week, Eldest was REALLY upset that she could not vote in this year's election.  Last night she sat with us and watched political pundits jabber on about the election.  And in case you are wondering, we have a real live honest-to-God, postmodern, Gen Y, Millennial living in our home, so only does she want to be part of the system, but she thinks her particaption will make a difference.  Go figure.

Never fear, she along with her sisters will get to vote today via PBS Kids Go.  Very sweet.  So if your kids want to vote send them to pbskids.org/go and click on the "Zoom" section where there are many of electoral activities to be done.

Proud dad and Generation We

As some of you know Eldest loves acting.  She takes classes at the local conservatory theater and has seriously caught the acting bug.   She has picked a stage name and is now auditioning for parts in plays, commercials and photo shoots.  Kinda crazy, but she is loving it.  I thought it was fitting that the first "gig" she got was to be part of a PSA about how her parents have ruined the world for her.  She is only in this shoot for a few seconds (1:31 and 1:53) after 30 minutes of shooting, but hey that's show business.

Generation WE: The Movement Begins... from Generation We on Vimeo.

Surely, they do not have to grow up!

[More First Day Pics on Flickr]

With Youngest joining her sisters at school, we have officially begun the empty-nest process.  Our "baby" has begun kindergarten and there is something bittersweet about that transition that will probably take us about 13 years to get used to.  It is not that she was not ready - oh she was so so so very ready - but that we are watching our babies grow up.  Eldest began middle school - boo hoo - Middle is now in second grade - boo hoo - and Youngest refused our offer this morning to let her live with us forever and skip the entire growing up process.  Sheesh.

As we hung out in the cry room, helped welcome new families into our school community and otherwise reconnected with our other family, we know that we have stumbled upon a great blessing here in San Francisco.   This community, that we have collectively entrusted one another's children to, allows them to thrive in body, mind and soul and expand their experience of the world, humanity and from our perspective, God.

From 10,000 feet high, what an exciting time.

From the hug and kiss goodbye on the playground a she bounded into the next phase of her life, her parents are a little sad as she moves from what as been to what she is becoming.

And oh what will be.  What will be.  We can hardly wait.

PS: While we do live in The City [see why], Youngest is not flashing gang signs, those are here Spidey Web Shooter hands.

A moment to let go just a little bit more

Yesterday Eldest and I hung out a bit at the cafe before she had to go to summer camp.  As we sat there, she with her grow-up sized peppermint hot chocolate and reading the paper, I had one of those "Our baby is growing up, and I don't like it!"  moments.  It took all my will power not to tear up and break into my own rendition of Butterfly Kisses ;-)   She really is growing up into such a wonderful young lady.  As these moments are bound to happen more and more, I am reminded that God walks with us into the world with the hopes that we make faithful choices, always remember God, respond to grace with gratitude and ultimately grow into every intention that God has for us.  And as I fight the urge to freeze in time each of my baby girls, I too am reminded that we too must have the same hopes for our own children.  And in the end, we, in many ways, must learn to let them go.

And as we wallow in our own struggles to let her and her sisters grow into who God hopes them to become, I remember that in the letting go it is not about my own difficulties with watching my children grow up, but it is about how we always, always, always, must encourage them to remember who's they are over and above our own needs to keep them bound by our own expectation and hopes. 

They are God's and God will never let them go.

Thanks be to God.

TN Shooting Reflections

If you have not heard about the shooting that took place in Tennessee this past Sunday when a gunman opened fire in the sanctuary of Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church (TVUUC), this is a tragedy that deserves our attention and prayers.

There will be an official denominational letter that Linda Valentine, Gradye Parsons, Byron Wade and I will send out, but I wanted to add my own personal thoughts as I too try to grapple with the events of last weekend.

I know personally when things like this happen, I am overwhelmed with all sorts of emotions:

• compassion for all involved;
• sadness that acts of violence in places of sanctuary happen at all;
• anger at the chosen actions of the shooter;
• frustration about a world that has gotten used to violence;
• hope in the ways folks have responded to show care and comfort;
• called to remember that there are acts of violence around the world every day that do not get noticed;
• pushed to think about forgiveness;
• challenge to embrace the sovereignty of God;

I know that in a vacuum we can debate the nature of God's presence in all things, but for now, I think it is important to sit with our emotions and simply acknowledge that there are times when the world just does not make sense.  And as we are ready and willing we can/must again embrace the fact that at times like this we are reminded that through all of this all we ultimately have to lean on is the love of God brought to us in the life, death and resurrection of Christ.  And more importantly, no matter what may happen, nothing can separate us from that love.

Romans 8:37-39 // ³⁷ No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.  ³⁸ For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, ³⁹ neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. 

In all things this is where I find my comfort.

HOW WE MAY RESPOND
Again, there will be a letter to come out from Linda, Gradye, Byron and myself.  Many of have also sent notes to Second Presbyterian Church located next door that sheltered children during the shooting. In the mean time, please take time to pray for all who are effected by this event and for the countless other acts of violence that go unnoticed in our country and around the world.

I have not yet heard about ways to respond in other ways, but if you know of such things, please be sure to leave a comment and I'll update this post as appropriate.

My sweet little goth girl

First, I CANNOT believe that my cousin blogged about his before me.  Darn iPhone ;-) 

In any case, Eldest just got done with the end-of-the-year musical from her after school arts program.  Each year they write an original musical and each year the graduating 5th grader's are the "stars."  This year, Eldest's class - with an unusually high number of alpha girls - had their turn.  And while there are usually 4-6 5th graders in the production, this year 14 for a grand total of 84 k-5 kidz in the show, "Outer Orbit."  As usual, it was far beyond anything we could have imagined.  Ever parent in the place cried as we saw our babies come alive on stage.  It is particularly moving as we have known these 5th graders since they were week kindles.  Eldst played, "lily" the goth girl and boy did she love getting all gothed out.  Middle was also in the play and you can tell she is bucking for a bigger role next year and is already eyeing the 5th grade ;-)  Above are just a couple of pics, you can see more [here].

Happy birthday to our junkyard piglet

How the frak* did Middle get to be seven?  We used to call her "Junkyard Piglet" because she has always been small and cute, but don't underestimate her, she is a scrappy one.

* Robin and I have been watching Season 3 of Battlestar Gallactica.  Oh how I missed you Six.

My kids are funny

Yes, I am going to quote my kids.  Because I think they are funny.  Plus, Sunday PM blog posts never get read anyway ;-)

From the back of the van today as the Eldest was cleaning out her third-row space and somehow things ended up on the Youngest.

Youngest, " Daaaad, E is throwing stuff at me."
Eldest, "Actually, things are being dropped on you."

Oh, that makes it a lesser offense.

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Middle's take on our move to a smaller apartment.

Middle, "Dad, do you know why I like this apratmenr better than our house?"
Dad, "Nom why?"
Middle, "Because it is okay to flush the tpilet while someone is in the shower

Ahh, the small joys in life.

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On my free-style rap skilz

Eldest, "Daaaaaad, stop my ears are bleeding!"

I don't think she was kidding.

Yeah, that's why we did it

We are the parents of three wonderful girls.  We didn't have three because we were trying for a boy.  The youngest was not an "oops."  We just wanted three.  Four won't be happening, but three is good.

We certainly didn't do it for the reasons that are postulated in the Washington Post article, Three Kids, You Show-Offs, sent to me by facebook friend, Richard.

"Are people having four or five children just because they can? Because they feel that it shows their wealth and status? In a world where the young rich use their $13,000 Birkin bags as diaper bags, one has to wonder."  Molly Jong-Fast

We may be guilty of sometimes feeling superior to other people for a variety of reasons, but this ain't one of them ;-)  If anything we are going back to the old school realities that the more kids the better chance that we'll be taken care of in our old age.  We tell the girls, only one needs to make money.  No pressure, they can choose which one, but someone must support dear old mom and dad in our golden years.

It is interesting about three.  Folks just assumed that when we announces, the Little One - as she calls herself these days - was not intentional.  One of my colleague joked with me after told a group of friends, "You do know how this happens, don't you?"