Mothering and fathering deserve to be celebrated, especially when a full year has passed, and on the commemoration of turning 1, the parents are able to pause and regard with awe the face of a child full of wonder. We, the supporting cast of sister and grandparents and aunties, were delighted to be invited to Maddy's weekend party at Aulani to document together this special time for her, laughing a lot and continually thankful that throughout the months we were able to behold (from even afar) her changing face, her first steps, her fussy moments, her sense of humor, her assimilation into a family that had been prepped for Madision time by Elly, the antic master, the sojourner of first experiences that will serve as her own classroom for Maddy. I picture Robert McCloskey's Make Way for Ducklings where each one is falling in line, mimicking the rhythm of the one before. (As I watched them play this morning, I noted their early dynamic as playmates, with Maddy infiltrating Elly's domain and Elly pacifying Maddy with something to dismiss her. She was pacified for the moment, and I had to smile. There would be further moments of combat.)
Thank you, Joy and Reid, for sparing no expense to include us in this momentous occasion. It truly was filled with beauty, and joy, and praise for Maddy by a God who created her fit to be a Kameoka.