Today Alex turns sixteen. I’m sure this has been a rough summer for him after losing his brother. Just glancing at his Facebook wall, I’m reminded of how many people love him and how many friends he has. I hope this is the beginning of a great year for him. I’ll probably wait a couple of months to talk about the first time I met Alex, so I decided to reminisce about the first time Debby did. She came for a visit in 2003, then she and I drove to Austin to see the boys. Just as they did with Tom and me, they immediately acted like they’d known her forever.
During our visit, we went with Lisa and the boys to a pizza place they liked because there were games and rides. We had so much fun with them. Here’s a grainy shot I got of Alex in action. I don’t know who that kid on the left is, but he’d better watch out!
Looking at the boys in bumper cars reminded me of going to Six Flags with Lynne as youngsters. I was a bit older–twenty-two–when she got this photo of me.
Today, Timmy tweeted that he can still do a cartwheel. I never was able to do one–Lynne could!–but I think it’s good for us to find ways to recapture the exuberance of youth.
Happy birthday, Alex, from the people and dogs of The Compound. Celebrate every minute of your day!
You’re such a great Aunt Becky!
Thank you very much!