March 11, 2021 at 6:06 p.m.

Celebration can now be enjoyed


By Diana Dolecki-

It is a beautiful day outside today. Better yet, the temperatures are supposed to be reasonably warm the rest of the week.

Grandson Jacob has a birthday next week. I went to the local store and purchased the exact toy his mom told me to get. I even have a birthday card for him. This is uncharacteristic of me. I am usually still searching for presents and cards the day of the actual birthday. Now the challenge is to get stuff to the post office in time. Wish me luck.

Jacob is the one who reminds me so much of my brother, Michael. Both are avid fishermen. 

Neither of them is afraid of any kind of wildlife and each will willingly pick up things like snakes that are better left alone. They each have a heart of gold.

I still cherish the photograph of a toddler Jacob, sitting in an empty diaper box which was his boat. He is holding a tape measure that was his fishing pole. Assorted toys were strewn on the floor representing fish and water. The kid does have an active imagination.

It is baseball season in Texas. Jacob and his little brother, Nicholas, are both on baseball teams. They are both good at smacking the ball. This past week Nicholas hit a foul ball that ended up bouncing off the top of a spectator’s car. He winced when he saw it. Jacob got several good hits and no cars were involved. Nicholas also “took one for the team” when he got hit in the shoulder by a ball. I’m sure it hurt but he didn’t writhe around in pain nearly as much as the pros do.

I have learned not to ask who won the game. It is enough that they enjoy themselves.

This will probably be the last year I am told to buy toys for the boys. When they turn 13 I give them the choice of cash or presents. Jacob will be 13 next year. I would rather give presents but I have to admit it is a lot easier and cheaper to send a check.

Jacob is the one we worry about. He is the one who went through brain surgery and now has to give himself daily shots and medicines to counteract the damages. The treatments seem to be working as he looks taller and slimmer than he was in the last set of photos I saw. He has not allowed the possibility of the growth coming back to limit any portion of his life. We could all learn to cope as well as he does.

During the last blast of winter Jacob’s family was without electricity for a while. Their well house froze, so they were without a good source of water until they got it fixed. My daughter’s step-sister and her baby girl were visiting. Jacob discovered that the baby liked to lie on a blanket while he pulled her around the kitchen.

The water and electricity are once again doing what they are supposed to. The grandchildren go to school during the day, and to baseball most evenings. For my daughter’s family things are returning to normal.

They still wear masks, wash their hands often and use hand sanitizer when possible. I doubt if they can stay 6 feet apart or even 3 feet. But for now they are safe and Jacob can enjoy his birthday celebration.
PORTLAND WEATHER

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