I love each of my three children so much.  My heart wells up when I think of each of them.  Each one, such an individual…so special, in my mind.  My remembrances and shared experiences with each, are so particular.  Each one holds in body, soul, mind and experience, such a special collection of attributes.  I am a proud mother.  No…the relationships I have shared with them are not perfect…but the humanity of this struggle called life and the blessing/curse of free will,  guarantees that imperfection is pretty much a given.

Erin…my first born…a young lady with a heart that swells with kindness for others.  Her young life fractured bits and pieces of her innocent and beautiful trust in love.  I didn’t do so well in protecting her from all of that.  Bit by bit, as a woman, she has been filling the wee holes with new love and experience…the love of a steadfast husband…and she has used some really durable glue to fix the fractures.

She treasures her brother and her sister and has been a formidable part of her grandparents lives…their moving from one phase of their years into the next and the next.  Erin values and treasures family.  She has always worked tirelessly and sometimes passionately to discover how to make peace…for everyone.  And sometimes I think that work has been too hard.

Erin is music…and I can not help but interject with this song, by Sinead O’Connor, The Singing Bird…because this is a song that comes to mind when I think of Erin.  I also think that O’Connor’s hands…her gestures here…remind me of my daughter.

“The Singing Bird”

I have seen the lark soar high at morn
Heard his song up in the blue
I have heard the blackbird pipe his note
The thrush and the linnet too
But there’s none of them can sing so sweet
My singing bird as you.
If I could lure my singing bird
From his (her) own cozy nest
If I could catch my singing bird
I would warm him (her) on my breast
For there’s none of them can sing so sweet
My singing bird as you.
My singing bird as you.
My singing bird as you.

Erin is about feasts…good food and good drink… parties and celebration.  If you have not attended one of her events, you must really get in her good books…you won’t forget her hospitality and alongside her husband, Douglas, you will feel the welcome of their home.

I love you, Erin.

Yesterday evening, Erin and I shared a meal at our favourite family restaurant, The Dragon Pearl, in Inglewood and then went on to wander the Esker Foundation. It was the last-day for Janet Werner’s Another Perfect Day, Dagmara Genga’s Scenic Route and really fun and engaging, Jillian McDonald’s Valley of the Deer.  Erin and I spent some time deciding which role our Cayley AKA ‘wood nymph’ would play in McDonald’s installation.  I’ve included the short piece of video What Does the Fox Say simply because it reminds me today of the exhibit.  The Esker Foundation never disappoints!  It was fantastic!