Luke's first birthday (May 30) came and went faster than the virus we're passing around the house. High fevers, body aches, and fatigue are the symptoms. Luke had a rash, too. How nice for him. Happy 1st Birthday. And I gift you with...an infection! Think of the accompanying rash as "icing on the cake". Welcome to the human body, susceptible to attack without warning.
Jonah watched "Wizard of Oz" for the first time this week. His response was not what I expected. No fear of witch or fying monkey. I still shudder when Elvira Gulch transforms into the wicked witch as she flies outside the Gale house during their journey inside the cyclone. Not Jonah.
And I still shed a tear when Dorothy says farewell to the Scarecrow, just before the ruby slippers carry her home to Kansas. JOnah could have cared less. Maybe he's not old enough to appreciate it. Maybe the context has changed too much. He's already seen "The Lion King" and "Finding nemo", two great Disney films about coming-of-age and finding one's way, one's identity, one's gifts in family and community. Maybe Oz pales in comparison to "Pride Rock" or "the great barrier reef". Or maybe they are OZ for Jonah. Every generation needs an OZ, a kind wizard, a colorful world where good triumphs over evil. Most obviously, Harry Potter and the wizarding world of Hogwarts symbolizes the multivalent story of good v. evil, coming-of-age, and the "magic" that accompanies such an experience.
Nevertheless, an annual trip down the yellow brick road is good for the mind, the heart, and the "inner Lion" seeking courage to serve bravely in a world where wicked ones roam.
