Today was Garin's 12th Birthday. I have so many lovely photos and moments to share, but I will save most of those for tomorrow. It's been a long day. However, I couldn't let the day pass without a huge thank you to everyone who helped make Garin's day so remarkable. I think it may have been the most special birthday he has ever had. I hoped that he could have a nice birthday despite COVID 19, when in fact it turned out to the most wonderful birthday because of this pandemic. It is the duality of life experiences this crisis has created, that continues to intrigue, baffle and mystify me. Just a week ago, I sent an email asking anyone who might be able, to send Garin a card for his birthday. And you sent cards! Every day I went to the mailbox and found more cards. I was so excited to see them arrive, knowing how special they would make him feel when he received them today. Tonight after dinner, we sat down together as a family and opened each one. We read them aloud and marveled at how unique each card was. There were silly ones, handsome ones, and lots of homemade ones (done with a great deal of style and ingenuity, I might add). I had tears in my eyes, as he opened them, one-by-one. For me, each card symbolized the deep love and caring for my son, and by extension, for me. Even in the midst of all that each of us is dealing with at this time, every person who sent a card, took the time to make it (or buy it), write out a loving message and put it in the mail. I know better than anyone, that is no small feat, in the midst of the worst crisis any of us have experienced in our lifetime. Garin's siblings also made him the beautiful, thoughtful and creative cards, which I could tell, touched him deeply (Garin is hardly the mushy type, so that says a lot). Besides all the incredible cards, at 3 this afternoon, we had a small, yet intimate Zoom birthday celebration. Everyone who attended started by sharing how long they had known me and also Garin. There were sweet stories told about him and our family. All the participants also told us where in the country they were Zooming from (from coast-to-coast), followed by a wonderful round of "Happy Birthday to You," sung by all. Another tear-jerker for Mommy. Although the day held so many more special moments, (which I will share once I have had some sleep), I couldn't let the night pass without conveying my deepest gratitude to everyone for the outpouring of love and generosity to me, my son and our entire family today. Cards, calls, texts and thoughts of love permeated our day. This is not a birthday that Garin nor I shall ever forget.
Enico and I enjoyed the zoom birthday meeting so much, it was great to see you all if only virtually! They did a wonderful job on the shark cake, I'm sure it was tasty as well. Happy birthday again to Garin, xo