One

The Magic Number One

What is it about the number one that seems to capture the imagination? Is it that it represents a beginning? It's a small enough number that it's easy to wrap your head around, particularly for the mathematically-challenged, and I, as a proud English major of old, know of where I speak. When I hear the word 'one,' a few things come to mind:

Air Force One - and I mean the real one, not the pretty cool but spectacularly silly Harrison Ford movie. The real one is a boss symbol of America's authority and power.

One Direction - an earworm-inducing scourge on humanity. I don't care about 'what makes you beautiful,' I just need that earworm out of my head. Now. And. Forever. More.

One - working to fight against extreme poverty and preventable disease. They are striving to do good things.

But today, when I hear 'one,' I think of this one:

One Today

Our grandson, the first-born of the Awesomes, turned one today and when it's a birthday for someone in the Den, you get called out! As I think about him celebrating his first birthday, I ask, 'How did this happen?' It was, in my mind, just yesterday that I was holding him for the first time when he was just seven short days into the journey we call life. But today, thanks to FaceTime, I watched him run through his house, perform 'So Big,' point out his belly, and holding up one finger to show that he knows he's one today.

He'll be surrounded by people who love him as this little milestone is celebrated, including CAL who made it down for the big day. He'll have fun. He'll not remember a single moment of this. But he'll know this - that he is loved. That's worth all kinds of celebration.

Happy birthday, B! You're doing the number one proud!