FAMILY......this is a picture of the extended family...the young generation...the fruits of our loins....Nicole, Ryan, Linette, Caleb, Kai, Ken ,and Mia....(seems like just a few short years ago)....and a picture of me a couple of years ago (this pix was included only because I am clearly computer challenged when it comes to importing pictures...this was supposed to be a pix of all the "Moms"...oh well!!!)
The Websters dictionary's fourth listed definition for "family" is, "all those claiming descent from a common ancestor; TRIBE or clan; lineage." Therefore, the tribe known as Wellfleet is one big family!
Let me introduce myself, I am one of Wellfleet's "Mom's", Jodi Birchall. Sharyn and I have been "family"/friends since I was about 19 years old...I am approaching the big 50th birthday....that's 30 + years of fun, laughter, joy and sorrow. I was with Sharyn and Jan the day Caleb was born, as well as, at the birth of both Kai and Max. For those of you who don't know....Sharyn pops babies out in under twenty minutes flat, so all births were at home ....I was the fortunate one to help "babysit" what ever children were around while she was taking a few minutes out of her busy day to have a baby...what a beautiful experience to witness (truly). The day Kai was born I was supposed to distract Caleb while Sharyn was doing her good work...he would hear nothing of it...I was reading, singing, dancing, making funny faces.....all he wanted was to be by Sharyn's side...and so he was, he arrived at her bedside moments after Kai was born. When she was in labor with Max, she decided that it would be better if I was in the room with both Caleb and Kai to witness the birth of Max...we were sitting in a rocker in the bedroom and I had the two boys on my lap....however, this was not good enough for Caleb....he insisted on being right by Sharyn's side....his face next to her face, "Mom, are you O.K?"....stroking her forehead with his hand...it was fine with her and moments later Max came into this world.....a day I will never forget and cherish always.
WE raised our children together.....there was and still is a close knit group of us "Moms".....Shelley, Trudy, Eva, Jane, Ellen, Anne, Carrie, Lucia, Sharyn, and myself...we are the WE.....we got together as a group once a week, WE took turns at each others houses for coffee in the morning to share fun and parenting "stuff"....later, as the children grew...and some were off to school it became coffee and mimosa's.....when they all were in school and we all started working again, we would get together in the evenings without the kids and share stories, food, laughs and margaritas........and it goes on and on......WE have gotten together for the last 24 years every Christmas to have fun and just be US...although the time we spend together these days is less than when we were younger, we continue to love and respect each other...WE are family......when Caleb got in his accident it affected all of us so profundly because he was one of US...one of OUR children...our children are all friends to this day...it was their brother, their friend......the whole tribe was profoundly affected as well....the prayer circles......the fundraising.....the bloggers....people who have never met Caleb are now part of the tribe....at the Oysterfest this past weekend....his name was everywhere....Shaye had a booth to fundraise for his "brother"...total strangers beame part of the tribe....all connected through love and caring for a fellow tribesman....FAMILY......I would not trade this family for anything in the world....there is definitely something very special about the Wellfleet Tribe....we take care of our own and unite, as one, when needed......no matter what...
Caleb is a strong, stubborn, spunky, athletic, funny, loving, caring, "old soul" in the tribe....he has the love and support of all tribesmen....he will be home when he's ready.....he will love again....he will have a loving and supportive future....the tribe won't have it any other way.....I can't wait for the day when his smiling face is back in town.
I can even see into the future when all of us "Moms" are sitting in our rocking chairs on the porch of our privately owned nursing home, (which just happens to be Sharyn's home), visiting with our kids as they come to change our diapers, and make our meals, and clean our "home"....we'll be telling stories, laughing, loving, drinking margaritas,(just enough to wash down those meds we'll undoubtedly be on!)... and just being family,........Sharyn, by the way, will still be wearing her bright red lipstick....maybe a little on her teeth and some outside the parameters of her actual lip line, but she'll still look "hot"... and WE won't care......we're family........it's all good!
Love to all...........Jodi
p.s. A special "thank you" to all the volunteers, musicians, artists, craftsmen, towns people, town employees, businesses, and anyone and everyone that helped and worked so selflessly in making all the fundraising efforts so successful....thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!!
p.p.s."Make new friends, but keep the old......one is silver and the other gold." Here's to all the new friends and family.... and the old as well..........gold is a beautiful color indeed!
