Sunset Celebration

Closed shutters create a sense of calm and help to barricade the relentless sun. Inside, the table is festive with daisy napkin rings, the coolness of white placemats and six place settings awaiting our guests. The doorbell rings and the ladies have arrived. Soon the birthday boy will join us for pizza, a pedestrian salad of spinach and cherry tomatoes, and a tray of veggies surrounding creamy dip. Glasses have been properly iced. The girls prefer the metal ones that frost almost instantly and will be filled with diet Root Beer, the current beverage of choice. Two large pizzas from Angelina's are as near to New York as we can manage from 3000 miles away. Thin, nicely sauced, craftily cheesed. Sausage is a favorite topping for the Kindergarteners, so half of one pie is dotted with meat. The grown-ups are purists. Just cheese, please.




Finding forty is sometimes a shock. It does appear unheralded. One day you're twenty-one, then slip into thirty. There's hardly time to breathe and create a life when the next decade dawns.

Shawn's a special person. A superb husband, dad, and neighbor. His job is continually stressful and critical to the well-being of our country. Despite such monumental work responsibilities and a long commute, he remains jovial and totally engaged with his extraordinary family.



During dinner, I tell the girls that they won the 'parent lottery.' How clever of them to pick such splendid parents. Hanna responds, "We also won the next door neighbor lottery." I am silenced by such a statement.

Dinner disappears as conversations linger. We've forgotten the triple digit heat, the outside cares. It is our friendship that matters and the special man that we are honoring. Talk centers on the waning days of school and the much anticipated upcoming trip to England. In between, mutual dear friends will arrive in the desert and gatherings will ensue. We are surrounded by such caring people and we recognize the richness of their presence in our lives.

Chocolate birthday cake blends well with our Italian meal. Festive plates are scraped to extract the very last bit of crumbs and icing. No restaurant could be finer on this evening.



Two precious sisters tote gifts to the living room. They are smiling and can't wait for the opening process to begin. Their dad, the honoree, is equally gleeful. He smiles as each present is revealed. A fancy model of his special vehicle, the much loved Land Rover. A book which traces the history of this storied car. Also a new key chain to remind him of what he drives. A soccer ball for playing in his expansive back yard. To lighten the mood, there's a plastic snake as a reminiscent of a recent encounter during a desert hike with our nephew. Laughter erupts and the girls determine that the snake will be great as a pool toy.


Closing the night on a musical note, we adjourn to Henry's office. Hanna commands the keyboard and deftly plays a song. Jessy has the microphone and is the vocalist, emmitting a pure sound. Dad and Mom sit at the edge of the room and can barely contain their pride. Why should they? These girls are unique, talented, glorious incarnations of themselves. At one point, Jessy sits at the electric piano with its power turned off. Her fingers move lightly across the keys as she hums on perfect pitch. Music flows from each small frame and will be a part of Hanna and Jessy's lives as the years unfold. Mom Gilly, with her remarkable voice, leads the girls with assurance. These are special moments that someday will occupy space in the sisters' respective memories.


Being forty isn't bad at all. It is, in fact, time to soar. To realize all you've accomplished. To recognize those who love you without reservation. To acknowledge that the life you've chosen is incomparable and fabulously fulfilling.

We celebrate the gift of Shawn. Today and always.