I'm A Day Late, But This is A Birthday Shout Out To A Young Man Who Turned 8-Years Old. #FamilyIsMostImportant #SeanManIsTheMan

Yesterday, my sister Casey sent me several photographs from the week she spent celebrating her oldest son's birthday. They went out to dinner, to an amusement park, to museums, and to Wonder Works at the Destiny Mall to celebrate his life, happiness, sense of adventure, youth, and willingness to adventure into the world.

As I work knee-deep in summer rituals through the National Writing Project, I find the greatest joy in getting insight to the Barnwell world in upstate New York - snapshots of what I miss because I live 300+ miles away.

I can't be there in person, but I can be brought to them with photographs and FaceTime...watching them get older and older, bigger and bigger, and wiser and wiser.

So this is for Sean-Man. He's always been the man - the big brother that Jacob looks up to and the son/nephew/cousin and grandson that the Crandalls, Isgars and Barnwells love. Happy Birthday (one day late). Keep the jokes and laughter coming.