How fast they grow

Keeping spirits up is a real challenge these days. I'm glued to the news, history and analysis of what's going on as Trump's idea of a smart man whom he "understands very well" savages Ukraine and we can do little but watch it happen.

But there was a ray of sunshine this morning as thousands of runners ran the Berkeley Half Marathon, and came down Fulton Street, a block from our house. We still remember the time when we couldn't hold the marathon because of the bad air from the smoke in Napa County. This morning, though, the air was fresh and clean. Moreover, we had a special stake in the run this year.

Takashi, one of my dearest friends, who was one of my students at Keio, decided to make his home in Oakland a few years ago, to my absolute delight.  I got to witness his marriage at San Francisco City Hall to an absolutely lovely woman, and, since then have been watching their family grow up close. First came Koh, now fast approaching his teenage years. Then Kei, his little sister. Together they make up my idea of the cutest kids in the world. 

Icing on the cake is Iggy, their chihuahua, the doggie who turned me from somebody who didn't care all that much for little dogs to one of the proud daddies of Miki and Bounce. If not for Iggy, those little girls, who have completely turned our lives around, might not have become part of our family, and I am eternally grateful for that.

We haven't seen each other much in recent months because of the Covid lockdown, and before that because Takashi took the family back to Japan so he could work for the Special Olympics. In that time, Koh and Kei have grown like bamboo shoots, almost too fast to keep track of.

Our spirits got a huge lift this morning as we got Miki and Bounce out for an early morning walk at 7:15, to watch the runners in the Berkeley Half Marathon to cheer Takashi and Koh on. They both did the run.

I know it's a cliché for old folks to talk about how fast time flies and how fast kids grow. But because I found this such a source of pride and uplift, I just have to share it.

The photo on the left is of Takashi and Koh taken in 2015. The one on the right is of Koh taken an hour or so ago. I missed Takashi but my eagle-eyed husband helped me pick Koh out of
the crowd.

The photo at the top is of some of the runners lining up at the start line. Threw that in just for the fun of it.

Update: 12:51 p.m.

Adding two videos plus a photo of Takashi, Koh and Kei, which Takashi just provided with the notation:

"Thank you so much for cheering this morning! Both Koh and I finished strong! It was so much fun!!!"

Sorry mama didn't get in the picture. But somebody had to operate the camera.

Used without Takashi's permission. Hope he doesn't mind😘.