Remembrance of Journeys Past with my Stepdaughter across the last month of 2008 and the first three months of 2009
Talia debates going to the top of Kite Hill at Magnuson Park, Seattle. Tuesday 31 March 2009.
She was my third and last child, the stepdaughter I read to while she was in her mother’s womb and caught in my hands as she was born after long hours of struggle. Kristina, TaTa’s “Chee Chee Mommastina,” called her daughter, “Little Sitting Buddha Girl,” for she would sit still and quietly observe everything around her with precision and presence. As her “DaDa William,” however, I called her my Li’l Butterfly.
Distant Olympics on a ferry ship sailing across the upper part of Puget Sound as we traversed the Salish Sea, Washington. Sunday 4 January 2009.
We did a series of day trips, she and I, out to local city and state parks. We took the Washington State Ferry across the sea to islands and peninsulas to the west of Seattle and north, too. On some of these trips her mother, my lover at the time and eventually, for awhile, my wife, traveled with us. Usually our whole family of 5 and more would scoot along together, including my two kids from my earlier lover and wife, Gwendolyn. We were a polyamorous triad for awhile and abided within a network of small, urban intentional communities, but those family histories are for another time. Here we goof around together for fun!
“DaDa & TaTa” loved to get silly. Her sisters would laugh, but her Mama would roll her eyes with a snort and say, “Oh, William.”
Butterfly Toofies! Goofin’ in Seattle with DaDa. Thursday 18 December 2008.
DaDa Eyes! Well, one of DaDa’s eyes, anyway. Thursday 18 December 2008.
Li’l Dancing Butterfly’s “Owie Ankle!” Swollen, bruised, and, “well, it hurts, DaDa.” Everyone who played with her had to be careful as we didn’t want to trigger excessive bleeding from simple injuries. It didn’t stop her from diving into life. She had broken her leg in a sledding accident earlier in the same year.
Talia in her wheelchair at our Yellow Dragonfly House. The cast went from her toes all the way up to her crotch. Those were difficult times for our family as we entered further into what we later called our “Hard Times” period of 2008-2013. Even tho we endured many painful losses, we also enjoyed a number of happy times, too. Life is like a roller coaster sometimes, y’know. Best to stay inside the cart when it’s moving fast, tho! Sunday 10 February 2008.
Uh oh, upside down TaTa Toofies, too!
A silly upside Daddy eyeball!
We journeyed on. Life is messy, I like to say, so jump on in and play!
I don’t remember where we took this particular ferry ride to on this cold, January day in 2009. We did take a similar one like this when we sailed from Mukilteo on the mainland out to Whidbey Island. Whidbey is the 4th largest island in the Lower 48 States and the largest in Washington State. Here we gaze at the distant Olympic Mountains on the peninsula horizon.
Between ferry rides: Talia in the woods of South Whidbey Island State Park, Washington. Sunday the 1st of February 2009.
My Li’l Butterfly feeling silly & posing on a tree leaning across the trail. South Whidbey Island State Park, WA. Sunday 1 February 2009. She’s come a long, long ways from breaking her leg a year ago.
“Take my picture again, please!”
“Like this, too! Hey, if we take more pictures then we don’t have to hike so far!”
“Are there ghosts in these woods?”
“Nawww…well, maybe, but I don’t care!”
After walking along the trails in the state park and playing in the forest, exploring grassy bluffs, & peeking inside old buildings, we got back in the minivan and headed home. While this is from the earlier ferry ride in January, our sailing back across the sea looked much like this with snowy mountains in the distance.
Tired & napping after a little road trip somewhere neither of us can remember anymore. She often would tug her hat down over her eyes & doze off in the car, tho. Seattle. Parked on N. 47th Street on the north side of our Yellow Dragonfly House in “SouZoo.” Wednesday the 18th of February 2009.
Still sleeping hard.
Does NOT appreciate being waken up! And as her father I will not leave her alone in the car.
No, not just yet, OK? Gimme a second…ughhh
Not every time is like this.
Selfie Artist in Pain. Taken at home in Seattle on Tuesday the 24th of March 2009. Such a weird picture, ha, but I don’t remember what prompted this strange self-portrait. Maybe I stubbed my toe & am demonstrating deliberate endurance of pain thru measured breath control. Drove Li’l Butterfly’s Mama nuts sometimes when I held my breath so long for she would say, “Why do you that to yourself? You can choose to be an enlightened warrior, too, you know.” Aye, she’s right, she is, but I went left.
“Lookit, DaDa, flowers!” Spring Equinox was celebrated not quite a week and a half ago, but already nearly everyone wants more Spring! This was a fun day, just me and my Little Butterfly Girl.
There were precious times during a troubled period for the world. We made the most of our crazy fun times together as best as we could despite our busy lives full of distractions and challenges. Life may be precious, and each month is but a few weeks and a year only twelve of those months. Already they pass into the past. Our crystal memories soften and melt, leaving us smiling anyway at those now-fuzzy times of fuss and joy. Let’s all keep on living regardless of our circumstances. Aye, remember to take care of your health, and help each other out along the way.
Be kind and listen to those with whom you differ, for we all usually have more in common than not. Accept, love, and forgive, and prepare to defend yourself and others as necessary. Every moment passing may be a life-long lesson. All the passing moments constitute our journey.
Enjoy the journey! Including our journeys of love! Love is easy, but navigating socio-cultural expectations and relationship boundaries may feel often hard. Such can be hard work as well as joyful. Everything is a journey as space bends and folds around us while we pass thru time. In a way, however, our journeys are the only thing real we have left to feel.
Thank you for gracing my life, Li’l Butterfly. Your journey keeps rocketing onwards!
William Dudley Bass
Sunday 22 December 2019
Tuesday 24 December 2019
Revised Saturday 28 December 2019
Revised Thursday 2 January 2020
Seattle, Washington
USA
Cascadia
Sol
Copyright © 2019, 2020 by William Dudley Bass. All Rights Reserved by the Author & his Descendants until we Humans establish Wise Stewardship over and for our Earth and Solarian Commons. Thank you.