I am visiting my family in Florida. My father, aunt, and brother with his girlfriend, Theresa, "T". My brother and T brought a baby, Stephen Jr., into the world on July 22, 2010. He reminds me so much of my brother when he was a little boy. Big brown eyes, and a full shock of dark brown hair. My brother is Dine/Lakota and has dominant native features. T, is from the Ondandogan tribe in Canada, and is also 1/2 Irish on her father's side. She is a beautiful woman, fair complected, dark haired with blue eyes.
My brother and I were adopted from separate families just a few months after birth, and we are only 10 months apart. I am 43, and he is 44 now. T is 42! It's amazing how modern medicine has enable women to pursue careers and postpone childbearing until later in life. She told me about her journey into motherhood, and it was beautiful to hear her story of her first pregnancy.
Baby Stephen has an ear infection and a bit of the flu, so I have not been able to properly bond with him as an aunt. At any rate, it is good to be visiting family and spend time with them.
Seeing a baby and celebrating the joys of a child is a reminder of how precious life is, and no matter how young or old, we should treat everyone we encounter with deep respect.
