Lonely Nights & Angels. Portraits of Joseph. Palo Alto, CA.

I sat on the bed in solitude wondering if I made a mistake by moving to San Francisco - which in fact I had only landed in Milpitas, a suburb south of the city. Like the kind of suburb with rows of houses that all look the same, strip malls, and cul de sacs. I wished my family and friends were two miles down the road instead of three thousand miles away. It was a Friday night. I was twenty-six. I had nothing to do, nowhere to go, and no one to see.

Then, the phone rang. I couldn't leap for it quickly enough. It was my five year old cousin, Joseph, "Sandy?" My heart sank into a million pieces, and I wept happily with a smile. "Yes, it's me." "Sandy, I miss you." And then the loneliness was over… I took in a big deep breath and absolutely knew that angels were watching over me, because hearing that sweet tiny voice right when I needed it most melted away all of my pain. Just like that.

Well, here he is now, only this time he is very grown up, very mature, and very grounded. I could rave about how accomplished he is in school, travel, the fact that he's a pilot, and so on. But if I did all that, it might sound like I was bragging… which I would be… just a little bit. But all of those things are not exactly what make me so proud of him.

I'm proud because I can visualize the posture our grandpa Joe would have if he were alive and standing next to him today. I can picture his face, his smile, the pride and joy in his eyes as he glances at Joseph and marvels at what he's becoming. Again, less for the accomplishments he's making but more because of the man he is turning out to be. One with solid integrity, good values, a kind heart, gentle spirit, and an ability to be thoughtful beyond measure.

Wish they could have met… but then again, that's kinda silly, because I have a feeling grandpa Joe is one of the angels watching over us.