"I Wish I Could Fly"

"I wish I could fly," said Anne's and my 7 year old grandson Cameron yesterday afternoon, as he and I sat together in the sunshine looking out at the beach, as seagulls floated overhead on the ocean's air currents. "If I could fly, I would fly after the birds, I would fly to school and I would fly when my leg hurt."

It was a wonderful afternoon with Cameron. While Anne hosted a 90th birthday party for her mother Mary, which included 26 other women including Fay Ward, who was celebrating her 98th birthday on that day as well, Cameron came with me.

We went to a toy store and then a toy store section of a department store, all so Cameron could choose just the right toys for 4 year old Carina and himself, and for a little friend of his, Vincent, who was also celebrating a birthday.

For Cameron, just the right toys meant for Carina, a little stuffed kitty she named Salty, for his little friend, a WWE wrestler Cameron's mother Maria had given him money to buy, and for himself, a pack of four WWE wrestlers, each of whom he could identify by weight, by personality, by stories and by wrestling skills.

Once we purchased all of those toys, we headed for the beach. There we stopped at Joe's hot dog cart, where Cameron petted Joe's adorable little brown Chihuahua Peanut and then ate two hot dogs and a bag of potato chips, as we sat and talked, while looking at the ocean, watching the waves roll in.

Afterward, we headed to the birthday party Anne was hosting for Mary at our home. There Cameron played with his new wrestlers and another he had brought with him and Carina played with her dolls, It was a wonderful opportunity to wish Mary and Fay, each a happy birthday and to play with Cameron and Carina. And Carina spoke glowingly of the "slumber party," we will have on Friday night when Anne and I have Cameron and Carina overnight for the first time.

In the end, the one who got the greatest present that day was me, by having everyone's company and the joy of one on one time with Cameron.

Dick