Today is my second son’s 23rd birthday. He is across the continent celebrating with his lovely girlfriend. We haven’t seen him in person in over a year, and that’s hard, but he is where he should be, doing what he should be doing. The pandemic has set his career plans back a bit, but I have no doubt he’ll be just fine when the world opens up again.

On each of the kids’ birthdays, I like to pull out their special baby photo albums and reminisce. Ray and I marveled after the birth of each one that, while they may have the same parents, they are so very unique. It’s been a wonder to watch them grow into adulthood.

Child number two is a writer. He’s the one whose opinion I seek when I’ve finished a new manuscript. His talent at identifying the plot hole, or character deficiency, or finding a simple solution to a tangle, makes him my go-to guy when I’m stuck in my own writing. With his mellow personality, you’d never suspect that he also brings down the house with his stand-up comedy routines. I think because he is an keen observer of people as well as an amazing storyteller, he resonates well with an audience. His creativity is boundless, and even as a child, his keen intelligence was obvious. As he grew into adulthood, his good humor, steady personality, and kindness matured along with him.

As with all my kids, I am proud they are following their dreams and doing amazing things, but mostly I am so proud of the people they are - compassionate, thoughtful, responsible. As different as they are from each other, they all share these qualities. Happy birthday, Noah! We love and miss you.

In other news….

Save the date! I’ll be presenting at Boskone this year, February 12-14, 2021. Join me online for this fantastic science fiction and fantasy convention. It's going to be a great weekend filled with discussions of books, science, art, games, music, and more. Visit the Boskone website: http://www.boskone.org/ to register.