Blessing

We blessed our little Nico the day after Christmas.

The decision to do so was rather impulsive, and we didn't get the word out to everyone we would have liked to, but it was good to have so much family in town, in flesh and in spirit. (We were especially missing the Stan of Nico's Stanford and the last time he stood with us on these steps.)

There is such power in having a group of good men surround a baby and focus all of their spiritual attention on him,

knowing that he too may stand with them in circles to come.

He was blessed in the same blanket as the baby boy that my 10-year-old self (almost) loved like a mother, my brother Jesse,

and his feet were warmed in booties crocheted by generous hands.

His sweetness though is all his own,

even if it does strongly resemble his sister's.