saying goodbye...

not to you dear blog readers!  just to key biscayne.  but, i shouldn't say just key biscayne, because we've said goodbye to some very special people.  this week i saw my sweet midwife mary for the last time and left with pangs of regret that she won't be the one to attend the birth of this little soul in my belly.  it has been so nice to visit with mary for all my prenatal care visits thus far.  she became a friend from the first time i met her and i always felt at peace and loved in her office - ezra too - for she had baskets of toys waiting for him and would talk to him in that child whisperer way only some have the gift of.  she is a bodhisattva and because i don't have a picture of her, i thought this picture of a painting of one that i saw at a local store would suffice.

 we signed ezra up for two more music classes and he brought cookies on his last day this week to share with the friends he has made at "school."  he loved this class and always referred to it as going to school where the mommies don't stay (and i was the only mommy who stayed on the couch outside the classroom door with her knitting each week to wait for my child just in case he needed to go to the bathroom or came out looking for me - not once did he ever do that).  angeles, his teacher, whom i wrote about here was kind to make a special goodbye for ezra with his friends and gave him a homemade cd of christmas music.

we had one last visit over at sophia's house this week and nicola made us one of her famous quiches and salads and had pizza for the kids.  the kids played and we chatted, did a little knitting and at the end did NOT say goodbye.  we purposely planned this and i think it was brilliant.  when we made ezra say goodbye to his friends on st. maarten, it was an emotional disaster.  i should've known given that ezra doesn't like saying goodbye even on a regular basis and will instead say, "hello!"  sophia and nicola are extremely special.  what little three year old girl says, "ezra!  i'm so happy to see you!" each time he comes over or shares her most coveted toys with him.  i am so grateful to nicola and her husband tom for their conscientious parenting, the thoughtful loving people they are is of course a huge part of the reason their daughter is a such a lovely person.  nicola is truly one of the best friends i've ever had.  we both felt a kinship with one another and a level of comfort in each other's presence that is rare to find.  nicola would feed us every time we came over and said she took great joy in feeding my baby.  not only did she care for me in this sisterly way with food, but she actually showed up on my doorstep yesterday with a bucket of cleaning supplies and stayed for two hours to help us clean our apartment while sophia was home taking a nap with tom.  i will never forget that.  it was a huge help.  there is no doubt in my mind we will always be friends.   we didn't' say goodbye, but see you soon, because nicola has a sister living in santa monica that she often visits.  that is just a skip and a jump from my hometown.  

tonight we will have dinner at our favorite italian restaurant on the key with aase, our first friend on the key and one who felt like family to us.  she called me almost everyday from the day we moved next door to check in and see how we were doing.  we spent many hours together at the pool and beach together and shared many meals over stories and good laughs.  aase was essential in our feeling welcome and at home in a new place and we are all so grateful for her presence in our lives while living on the island.  hopefully, she too will be coming to visit in california as she spent 14 years living in san francisco and has friends and family there as well.  

goodbye palm trees, gentle breezes, and ocean air!  we will miss our island life and it's laid back style of living that we cherished on st. maarten and sought to extend by spending half a year in miami.  it was a great decision to come here for michael's rotations, because we made special friendships and memories on our journey that have enriched our lives.  we look forward to the next adventure and the new friends and memories it will bring.