A septuagenarian celebration

It's after midnight. No, we're not going to "let it all hang out." We're not even going to "chug a lug and shout." (Don't be alarmed. I had to Google the lyrics). We're going to celebrate the fact that right now, in all time zones of this great country, my step-father, Lewis Lloyd, is 70! Happy Birthday, Lew Lew!

Among many things, my step-dad has an encyclopedia for a brain. If he were writing this blog, he would not have to check Wikipedia to know that November 10 is the eve of Armistice Day, the end of World War I: the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. He might not know, however, that on November 10, 1938 Kate Smith sang Irving Berlin's God Bless America for the first time. But chances are he does know that.

It seems that Lew was born at a pretty interesting time in history--a day nestled between the Kristallnacht and the signing of the armistice treaty. It's kind of amazing, actually, that in the midst of what I'm guessing was total chaos on the other side of the globe, Lew was born and into this world came the kind and loving man who would live a lifetime of stories before coming into our lives. It took me a little while to even get a vague picture of the life that Lew had long before I met him. He often tells stories using only first names of world class artists. I soon learned that Bob is Robert Rauschenberg and that Merce and Twyla will often dance across the stories of his life. This past summer I was in the kitchen with Lew and my mom and overheard a story he was telling her in which he kept referring to "Leonard." Leonard this and Leonard that. He may have even called him Lenny. I looked up from my magazine and said, "I'm sorry to interrupt, but who's Leonard?" "Bernstein." Right. Of course.

I could go on and on about Lew Lloyd for quite some time, but I will just say how grateful I am that in a time of the terror of the Holocaust and the likely tumult of a World War's ending, there came a child that grew up to lead the wonderful life that Lew has lead and raised the amazing family that I am so lucky to now call my own, and has brought such happiness into my mother's life. I am grateful for his generosity, his kind spirit, his enormous intelligence and sense of culture, and his humor--all of which come in handy when needing help with a New York Times crossword puzzle.

I love you, Lew Lew! Happy Birthday!