Giving comfort

A very different birthday celebration Sunday. Two of us took a third for a belated birthday brunch--the birthday person was in pain, had been in too much pain to celebrate on her actual birthday. Complications of spinal compression, nerve damage, osteoporosis. Despite gratitude for being around to see another dawn, aging requires more courage than we can imagine when we are young and healthy. 

Now Bella has come to spend a week with me while her parents are out of town working. Her mother, who is still nursing her little brother, took him to work with her, and as Bella fell asleep she whimpered, "I wish I could go with mommy too. Sometimes I don't like getting older and growing up." 

The mouths of babes.

Because many a few people asked about my hot pink hair, here's an extra from the birthday party on Saturday. Thanks to Margaret Thiele for the photo.