Michael, today you are 19 years old.
When you were little, your mom and I decided to give you [along with Erica and Lucas] five priceless gifts. We thought then that probably we would not have lots of money to give you. [So far we’re right]. We decided to so organize our lives that when you left our home you would leave with 5 things no one could ever take away from you. You know what those gifts are.
What jumps out at me today on your birthday are all the gifts you gave to us and continue to give to us.
I remember …How every morning you would already be standing expectantly in your crib, waiting for me to crack your door, and you would peek through the crack with a huge smile. And no matter how early I cracked the door, you would always be waiting. I would smile all day or laugh at the thought of that. [Now you don’t even get up before noon unless you have to. Oops, did I say that out loud].
I remember…The way you bit “you know who” and struck a blow for freedom. On the outside I was stern but on the inside I was cheering. [For all you parents out there that are scandalized by this, it wasn’t a life threatening bite. It was just a little “there are no tyrants where there are no slaves” bite.] I’m still so proud of you.
I remember …The time you jumped in a tide pool on the east coast and pulled out the stingray (5 years old), reached in the river and pulled up a snake (15 years old), jumped on the carpet and saved your grandma and aunt from a lizard in the living room (5 years old). You were a hero that day. Five was big for you, I guess. I felt inspired by you.
I remember …The way your first attempt to lay down a key board track in a recording studio was the take we used on the recording (17), the fact that you were the youngest musician ever recruited to play in the adult band at the Mosaic service at the Mayan (15), the way you swam into the eddie, climbed the rock, jump onto the bottom of the upturned raft as it passed by you, pulled out your line and locked on to the D Ring and righted the raft in the rapid (15 years old). I felt inspired by your feats and accomplishments.
I remember the way you love birds, classical music, composing, playing instruments, and collecting flutes. I felt warmer by your interests.
I love the way you’ve picked up a little french, a lot of portuguese, and some english. The way you wanted to read Beowulf, and Confucious, and the Qu’ran, and agreed to read Homer and Virgil. I’ll never forget reading with you the Hinges of History Series by Thomas Cahill. I felt hopeful for the future.
I like that you have very interesting Names: Halfmoon Sky (your mysterious iname) and Bem-te-vi (your Capoeira name) and Michael McManus (the name you share with me, with us, a name that tells our unusual story –How did we get here?).
Thanks for the gifts, son. I laugh and smile a lot when I see your photos on the wall.
I hope for you a happiest birthday and that one day you would receive as priceless a gift as you have been to me.
Dad
Michael Alexander McManus in Context with Niza, Erica and Lucas
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