Today’s my youngest sister, Deanna’s birthday, and I realize it’s also the longest time we’ve gone in our lives without seeing each other. Some of my best memories are of vacations together with our two families—Deanna with her husband David and their girls, Mackenzie, Astrid, and Mia; and me with Tim, Olivia, and Mateo. They’d come to California or we’d go to Boston. One year we all met in Maine for our nephew’s wedding. Deanna and I have grown up together and our kids have, too.
At President Biden’s inauguration this past January, when thousands of fireworks blasted off and Katy Perry sang her indelible “Firework,” I remembered Deanna’s visit in 2013. In 2017, I wrote a short post about it, which I’m reposting below.
Happy birthday, Deanna! Xoxo
That Firework Summer
Tonight was the kids’ Spring Concert at school and one of the classes sang Katy Perry’s “Firework.” As I sat and listened, I remembered the moment a few years ago when Katy Perry’s “Firework” was everywhere, you couldn’t move without hearing “Baby, you’re a firework. Come on, show ‘em what you’re worth.”
That Firework summer, my three beautiful nieces came to visit us from Boston, and with three teenage girls, you better believe, honey: we were singing that anthem at the top of our lungs, nonstop. Dancing it, too.
And sitting at the concert I thought of them, those three teenage girls, now young women, Mackenzie, Astrid, and Mia, with their whole big lives ahead of them.
To my beautiful nieces and sister, I’m sending you these lines, with much love:
Maybe a reason why all the doors are closed
So you could open one that leads you to the perfect road
Like a lightning bolt, your heart will glow
And when it’s time you’ll know
You just gotta ignite the light and let it shine
Just own the night like the 4th of July
Cause baby you’re a firework. ~ xoxoxo
