For her thirteenth birthday, Ms. Bella got a hurricane and six days off from school. Also a cancelled birthday party at the beach. And a kitten. Still, this was an improvement over the 2001 sixth birthday where school was abruptly closed right before she was to pass out her birthday cupcakes. Ms. Bella's birthday is September 11. Many people say "Oh, how sad to have your birthday on September 11." but I don't feel that way. It is a reason to find joy in a day that has come to signify great sorrow. It was the day my first daughter was born six years before it became the day the terrorists raped our nation. It also happens to be my nephew's, her cousin's, birthday - eight years older than Bella. A few years ago I asked Bella if she remembered much about her sixth birthday and she said "Oh, yes mama. I was so sad." I was inspired by her sensitivity and inquired why . "Well, I had my cupcakes ready to pass out and the teacher made me put them away because everyone was going home. I didn't get to celebrate my birthday." Hmmmm. Yes, and 3,000 people died that day.
But this year we had more excitement than calamity. The hurricane politely showed up on Friday, the day after Bella's birthday. She still got sprung from school with her friends for lunch and she still got to go to her birthday dinner. Anticipation filled the air as school was cancelled for Friday and all the adults were running around putting away patio furniture and hauling in water and groceries. She had already been told that her party- a weekend cabin at Quintana Beach with her friends- had been cancelled due to a mandatory evacuation. Ike showed late on Friday and really wasn't much of a nuisance at our house until Saturday morning. Once we got the back side of the hurricane, the wind went crazy and the trees went down. Electricity was out all over- longer for some than others. Trees and fences were all splayed out - north to south as the wind blew. The week after was surreal. People slowly cleaned up. Those without power spent their time foraging for ice and food. Those with had "electricity guilt" (trust me- I know- I was one) and opened their houses for food and cell phone charging.
School continued to be cancelled- so Bella came up with the idea of going to her Auntie's farm for her birthday. A welcome respite from the downed trees and no electricity at home. And that's where the kitten came in. A stray fluffy calico was hiding near the house- hungry but skittish. Bella and her friends asked if they could keep it. "Sure", thinking the chances of them catching a wild country kitten were small. But never underestimate the wiliness of 13 year old girls. Soon I held the skinniest, scrawniest, boniest little kitten in my hand. If we hadn't fed her I imagine she would have been dead by nightfall. A bath and some yogurt later... now we have yet another pet at home. An affirmation of life after the destruction of the previous week. A close to another eventful birthday. Life is crazy; life is good.
