When I decided to move up to Portland years ago, I knew I had to do it but one of the hardest things was knowing that I wouldn't be able to see my niece Hayleigh very often. At the time, she was six years old. Sometime soon afterwards, she wrote a short little story in school about how if she was the state of Kansas, she would move to Oregon because then she could be near me. It was very touching but ultimately Portland was the right place for me and I couldn't convince my sister to visit, let alone move up here.
Tonight, I was checking my facebook feed when I saw that Hayleigh posted that nobody has ever had a worse kid than her and that she was so stupid. I wasn't sure what it was in reference to but then I saw my sister had posted something right before that, stating that she was sure she left the car that she owned in the driveway...
Anyway, I wrote to my niece and told her that it probably wasn't as bad as it seems and plenty of people were worse and did stupider things at the age 15, like her mom and other uncle but not me. ;) Honestly though, after working with homeless youth, I have seen and heard enough stories to make me see my niece as a little saint. And please, even I rolled the car at age 16. Hayleigh managed to return the car in one operating piece so she's a step ahead of me.
It felt good to be able to be there for her even it was just through facebook. But, after all, she is the reason I am even on facebook in the first place so I'm glad it could be used as a tool for good.
What else?
Sophia, Dean and I walked around the Belmont Street Fair and I bought a little kid's shirt from a vendor for Mr Whiskers! I hope it fits him! Also, when we were walking by a booth selling lawn ornaments, Dean stopped to relieve himself on the merchandise. I yanked him away and Sophia quickly threw water over the items to wash it off. The vendor was cool though and didn't make us pay for it.
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