Waiting

Today we are waiting for the birth of a new baby. My sister Shirley's daughter is in labor.  It is her first baby and things are going as expected.... slowly.
But she is making progress. So they are allowing her to continue at home. She has a doula(a trained birth support person). That can make all the difference.
Im enjoying every minute of my extended stay in Northern California.
Last night I went out to Roseville to visit my Vietnamese friends. I met them in 1976 when Viet Nam fell to the communists and the USA evacuated 100,000 people in one week. 
Some of them were taken to Camp Pendleton, a marine base near my home.  I went out as a volunteer and helped find sponsors for them and help them adjust to life in the USA. Some of them are still my friends. The couple I visited today are people who have accomplished a lot since they arrived on our shores. He became an engineer and worked for Hewlitt Packard. He is now retired as is she. 
We talked about our kids. They grieved with me over Michael. We talked about his life and his death. They shed tears with me. Thats what friends do.