Time marches on

I've just had an instant messenger conversation with LillyStar. LillyStar was born when I was at university - and she is the grandchild of the Old Folks. Because I was more or less gone by the time she arrived on the scene, I didn't get to know her the way I did her older siblings. It took LillyStar a while before she warmed up to her Monkey "cousin". I do remember once, when she was very small, she was riding in one of those baby backpacks on her father's back. I was picking blueberries in the yard. Suddenly, this child, who previously didn't acknowledge my presence, reached out her hand for a blueberry. We repeated the ritual until her father was concerned she would be quite sick.

Another time, I tried to entice her with a small toy -- she finally ran over, swiped it out of my hand - and then ran back to her parents. I didn't mind -- she'd at least taken it.

The first time I brought the Phenom home to meet the family, LillyStar was just a toddler and would play peek-a-boo behind the couch cushions.

The Old Woman has a special place in her heart for this child. There was an evening when they were making some craft -- The old woman told LillyStar to fetch a supply from a drawer -- and when she pointed, she realized that LillyStar noticed the wrinkles on her hands. The Old Woman said something about her hands being old and ugly, and she says that LillyStar just patted her hand gently and smiled at her. The Old Woman said that she had never felt as accepted for who she was as she did at that moment.

As she got older, she realized that she could hold me captive and I'd play with her while the human adults sat around and talked of boring things. I remember one night when she literally blocked the door and demanded that I play with her, and only her.

Now, LillyStar is at university and has her own apartment. She's at that tender age in which she's not yet grown, but she can put on quite a good show of being grown up. It is refreshing to hear of her adventures but also see that she is still tender and vulnerable. Ah, to be young.