Time With a Thoughtful Man

Abroad, away from all known comforts, one looks for and finds poor substitutes for connections akin to those we are all born intimately into.  Having now been back in the States for a little more than a month, my mother and I have navigated and drawn up fresh ways of communication.  A mutual love and affection has always been assumed, yet articulation of those treasured feelings takes intentional, purpose-backed participation.  The map of love must be updated regularly with fresh ink in the form of time and laughter, stories and hugs lest that map grow out of date.  Time away, followed by this long visit home, has given me license to coauthor a second edition to what I will call “my love atlas.”

Yesterday marked the beginning of my Uncle Norman’s 64th year.  Uncle Norm and his wife Aunt Nancy have been dear to me since before my infant mind could perceive the difference between air and love, touch and food.  After having dinner with my mother, followed by some time sharing and explaining my photographs from El Salvador, I drove up to Seward Park to drop in on two of my favorite people.  The three of us shared some white wine and conversation, of course I was welcome to stay in the spare bedroom.

This morning my uncle and I went out to breakfast with one of his dozen-or-so friends from high school.  Time with Gary is precious to my uncle, and I know he enjoyed having the three of us at table together.  On our way to breakfast we stopped to watch the materializing dawn.  Dim sky gave way to vibrant, orange-kissed pinks.  My uncle and I stood on the dock of the Leschi slips and I sang him some Brett Dennen songs.  Dennen was in the tape deck of Cebolla’s Subaru Outback during our tours of El Salvador last week.  It was the “What the Hell is Heaven?” line that brought me to pay attention.

My uncle is not a good man.  My uncle is an excellent man.  My uncle is my confidant, as I am his.  We know all there is to know about each other and still we seek time together.  If there is a God, and there is, He is gracious for giving me this time with people I cherish and admire, value and love.