We celebrated Marshall's young life with our family in Rockport, MA. Adam, Marshall, and I went to Good Harbor Beach to play in (and in one case, taste) the sand and feel the cold, saltiness of the Atlantic. I always feel fully alive at the beach and it was a magical experience to be there with my little family. The next day, we all gathered together for a lunch.
Marshall seemed delighted to be surrounded by all the generations; great-grandfather Marshall Turner Moulton and his wife Grandma Marjorie, great-great aunt Betty Moulton LeGacy, great-great uncle Leonard Moulton, Bob Brown (grandfather Bernie Backstrom), Nanny (grandmother Leslie Moulton Backstrom), great aunt Mary (Backstrom) Whitten, great uncle Geoffrey Moulton and his wife Lisa and two daughters Carly and Sofie, and of course Adam and I.
We let everyone know ahead of time that they did not need to bring a gift. We just asked that they come and that if they wanted to bring something, they could bring something for Marshall's keepsake box/time capsule. He received a variety of things; from letters to commemorative Obama coins! Our intention is to have him open everything when he is ten years old.
I made him a little crown with leaves and feathers. He looked like a little wild thing, wearing his crown and a face covered with the honey cream that I covered his little carrot cake with. I made him his own little cake and made a dozen cupcakes for everyone else. I covered his with a "frosting" made only with heavy cream, honey, and cream cheese. I covered the cupcakes with a more sweetened version that also contained confectionery sugar.
We read "On The Day You Were Born". I love that story's way of relating the child's place in the web of life. It always makes me a little emotional. I then shared some of the things that I am thankful to Marshall for and encouraged others to do the same.
We tried to keep the whole affair as low-key as possible; avoiding all the unnecessary commercialized hype. Our desire was to gather together to celebrate our love as a family and to be thankful for the joy that Marshall brings to us each and every day.
Your Children are not your children. They are the sons and daughters of lifes longing for itself. They come through you, but not from you, And though they are with you - yet they belong not to you. You may house their bodies but not their souls. For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow. Which you cannot visit. Not even in your dreams. You may strive to be like them, But seek not to make them like you. - Khalil Gibran