Remembering Elliana: My Equal Opposite

Candace was my birthday present, Erin was my Father's Day gift, and Elliana was my equal opposite. Our birthdays are exactly six months apart. We used to play a game in which Elliana would ask me how old I would be when she was a certain age. I would always be forty-seven-and-a-half years older than she would be! 

Obviously, she and I were equally people and opposing genders, but she was large, and I was small. Plus, she moved slowly, and I was quick. Despite that, we were best friends from the start. If she saw me somewhere when she was a toddler, she wanted to hang out with me. That was almost always fine with me! Of course, that changed when friends started coming over, but all good things unfortunately come to an end.

Remembering Elliana: Shopping for School Clothes

Thinking back, I don't recall ever shopping for school clothes, except for taking the girls to the store and picking them up. By the time my ex departed for the east coast, the girls were able to get what they needed with me only needing to provide money and transportation. 

Taking Elliana out to get school clothes, then, had to be my first effort at buying school clothes. 

It was also my last!

I Want to be a Butterfly

Though butterflies are not as essential to sustaining life as are worms, flies, and bees, they represent transformation into something that is beautiful while fulfilling its ultimate purpose as it flutters and flits for the rest of its life. 

The transformation requires great effort on the part of the butterfly. It struggles so greatly to emerge from its chrysalis that its first few hours are spent recovering. 

During the time immediately following its emergence, it is little more than easy prey for things that will eat it up. Butterflies that survive the period of vulnerability provide beauty for those that see them, and the seeds for growth for the new life that blossoms just because the butterfly was once there. 

Things I Honestly Believe

Nothing is certain.

Lobbying is bribery.

You cannot see a hole.

XXX movies are overrated.

Aristotle screwed things up.

Einstein was as bright as light.

Socrates was a funny character.

If God has gender, She is female.

Remembering Elliana: Christmas Shopping at The Dollar Store

It would have been the Christmas of 2008 when I had the idea to take Elliana to The Dollar Store so she could buy presents for people who were going to be giving her presents. Rose went with us to get some stocking stuffers for her kids, but I think she had some idea about what was going to happen and wanted to see it.

We grabbed a cart and headed off toward the gifts for her grandparents, her uncles, and her mom and dad. Rose headed off on her own. 

We grabbed some of the goodies at the entrance, and then headed off for the candles. Before we got there, though, we ran into some stuff that would go along with the candles and other gifts. This continued on after the candles. We headed for the keychains, but we stopped along the way to get some other stuff for some other friends.