My maximal birthday present yesterday was spending the morning with my son Matt. Easy to be with, you almost have to check your pulse to make sure he still is present.
Unflappable, that more than other singular assets distinguishes him from his siblings and from a world full of hyper Millennial colleagues.
We go to breakfast most Sundays, but Matt has a way of making life cycle events memorable.
My life has been distracted by a nearly daily drumbeat of drama following Diane’s death 11 months ago from the effects of ALS. Matt is an ocean breeze wafting through a steam room.
After graduating community college last month, he signed up last week for his first classes at Cal State Northridge, starting next month. Did I mention that he works fulltime, too?
Knowing that I am a voracious reader, after breakfast he suggested a trip to the bookstore. This was one of my gleaming moments with him.
Expenses were on him, Matt said.
In his school days, Matt did not do any recreational book-reading that I remember. He was preserving his peak visioning skills for perfecting his video gamesmanship.
Not these days.
We invested at least half an hour in the bookstore. Once we arrived, I did not see him again until it was time to go.
Best news: Matt left with twice as many books as I had.
These are the quality days, the most memorable ones.
Happy Birthday! Lovely story of a father and son. May you celebrate many more birthdays together. (PS I love bookstores, too!)