Oh Brother

Kevin had a wonderful mentor in Sonoma (Thank You, Steve!) with whom we keep in touch, but there is no mentoring program here through the schools. So we signed Kevin up for the Big Brothers Big Sisters program here, and he's had a Big Brother for the last few months. I can't say enough good things about this organization. The counselors are very responsive and helpful, and it's been good for Kevin to get out and meet some new people.

My first introduction to BBBS was through a boyfriend about 25 years ago. He was in his mid-20s at the time, and still good friends with his "Big" and family from childhood. Around the holidays here last year, while speaking to that same old boyfriend, who has remained a friend all these years, he mentioned his friend who'd been his Big, and it occurred to me to sign Kevin up here.

It means Kevin gets to spend several hours each weekend outside and active, playing basketball, swimming in his Big's pool, learning to BBQ (his Big used to be a chef), or having fun at the beach with new friends, including a three-yr-old girl he loves to play with and who adores him now so much that she cries when he leaves. So he gets to play big brother for a change as well, a role he's amazingly good at. He has a knack with small children. So for him to find an outlet for that here, makes him happy and is great for his self-esteem. Also, the more time he spends in the water, the happier he is. He's becoming quite the water-baby, and all those swimming lessons are starting to pay off.

It also means that I get a few hours to myself here and there to spend with friends, at the beach or just getting things done around the house. That last part is hard, since I'm home working all week, I want to be out and about evenings and weekends. However, I really love this house, and have a few projects in the works here, including a plumbago hedge (my babies) that's growing quite nicely. Aaaand, we have banana trees. One of the neighbor's trees just bore fruit in massive amounts, so we have fresh sweet bananas to eat...yum!

But I digress...who me? :)

Aloha pumehana...