The Next Generation

How was Valentine's Day? The less said the better. See, that was quick and painless (unlike the day itself)

I once heard a man speak about how easy it is to get so wrapped up in planning the future that you lose sight of of what's happening right now. The man in question was saying he knew without a doubt what do next year, but he couldn't tell you what he should do in the next hour.

"I had one foot in yesterday", he said sadly, "one foot in tomorrow, and all I was doing was pissing on today."

With that in mind I shall leave yesterday behind for a moment and talk about tomorrow. Since beginning LIFE 4.0 I've spent most of the time droning on about myself. So, with your indulgence, allow me to shift the focus to a couple of very important people.

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One of the routines I have developed is to speak with my daughter every Saturday night -she calls then because her cell minutes and long distance are free on weekends. She told me she knew Saturday night was the best time to catch me at home. Guess that scuttles that party animal reputation I used to have. She is so strong in the face of adversity -- she has serious health concerns -- and I find myself envying her. The love she and her husband Sean have reminds me of Roxanne and me before the bottom fell out. I pray their path will remain true.

She tells me Roxanne has come to her in her dreams, and that they have reconciled their estrangement. That doesn't surprise me. Roxanne often dreamed of her mother, and in those dreams, they would talk about things which had separated them. I worry about her as does any father. But more and more, I believe those worries are simply there to make me feel needed.

In her world, I see so much of Roxanne's legacy, not just in Rachel, but in my granddaughter Lena as well.

Yes, this apple did fall close to the tree. Lena represents so much of the three generations of our family's women who preceeded her, as well as a generous helping of her grandmother Linda and her Aunt Ali both of whom who look after her in Rachel's absence.

Lena is Rachel 2.0 and Roxanne 3.0. She commands the spotlight from the moment she appears. Pretty and smart, and this isn't just some grandfatherly hot air, it's the consensus of all who fall under her spell. She carries herself with poise, and strength, and an amazing amount of maturity for a ten-year old. She is the self-appointed leader of the pre-teen clan, the watchful guardian of her autistic litlle brother and her younger cousins.

It should come as no surprise that she's also a bit of a prima donna. As of the most recent report Lena's uncle was holding down the top spot on her shit list. She came in to find him watching her video of The Last Unicorn. When you're ten years old, this is no small transgression. She let him know that it was HER video, not his, and he would be welcome to watch it, but only after asking her permission. In fairness to Uncle Adon, he thought the DVD belonged to one of his kids. But having dealt with four generations of this family's women, I can say with certainty that he won't get off scot free on a technicality such as that.

Ten years old, and the world is eating out of her hand. I could learn a lot from them. And I will.

Today's lesson? The next generation -- and the one after that -- is doing just fine, thank you.

StevenK.