And on top of that, all of my grandparents had died before I was able to meet even one of them. Of all of them, the most mysterious to me, is my grandmother, Beppe Fokeltje. My mother’s mom who died only weeks after my mom was born. Died likely from blood clotting and the unusual practice of letting a mom stay in bed for 10 days after a birth resulting in serious circulation issues. Not only did I never get to hear about her from my mom, but neither did my mom know her birth mom, my Pake’s first love. There are a few photos of Fokeltje looking serenely from a sepia colored photograph. In her I see my mom and in her I get to imagine my new granddaughter Luciana Birdie. Fokeltje is Frisian for small bird or Birdie. We are so pleased that Annie and Joshua chose to pick up this piece of history to make it come to life in Luciana.
For Luciana Birdie
10,000 times 10,000
the dawn has woken up the world to wonder,
But there will never be a day like this day.
As the world tips its head toward summer.
With a full moon rising
its true summer solstice child is born,
turning the page on a new season in the
life of your little family and our bigger one.
Born on the shores of magical ocean sunsets
you chose this special day,
to take feathered flight,
to become part of us.
Just a little peanut till now.
Luciana Birdie, you have belonged
from generations past
and now are walking steadily into
wardrobe door futures.
You are joining a sisterhood of warrior girls
Sleep my little one
The journey has been long
And there is One who will watch tonight
And every night of every day,
as the moon light fades
and each new day dawns.
From Pake Oense
June 29, 2021