Reyes Gibbs Blog

The Doves are Back!!

Our doves are back!   This is the third time they have nested in our porch eaves.   They started sitting on the nest on February 18.  In the past, we never noticed when they started keeping their eggs warm and the next thing we knew they had chicks and then they flew away.  So this time we are keeping track, just for our own education about our doves.  Its pretty amazing that they keep coming back.   After their first batch of chicks we were going to take the nest down but decided not to and we are glad we didn't.  So far they have hatched three chicks at our address!! 

Whenever we go out the front door they freeze, sit perfectly still so we don't notice.  Everytime I open the door I say "good morning! Happy Sitting!"  Makes no sense but I feel better.  Last night, Joel put out seed for them, and told him he had to say something to the birds, he said,  "Hello, sweetheart!"   

Doves mate for life and the couple is never too far apart.  They take turns sitting on the nest.  Joel says he can tell the difference, I've tried.  Sometimes they both are sitting in the eaves, one on the nest and the other right next to his/her partner.   I peek at them through the window so I can see them move and interact.   They are protected from the elements and out of reach of cats so they picked a pretty good neighborhood.

I pray for them.  I am reminded of God's amazing creation.   And for whatever reason, I feel some humility that they chose our porch to have their chicks.  For me, they are a presence of God, they welcome me home, say goodbye to me and they don't do anything to make me think they are doing that I just know.   (okay in my imagination they nod their head when I leave and come back).   They remind me of God's presence, blessings and love!

Writing a "super"delegate!

I get emails from the Obama campaign regularly.    I read them, say a prayer, and then pray again that people make good choices in their lives.

This paricular email asked if folks would write to the superdelegates and ask them to support Obama.
For whatever reason I did!

What makes this so strange is that I worked with politicians for 20plus years in the California Legislature.  Each day of those 20 years I became a bit more jaded and cynical about the political process and the way things get done in the Legislature.   I was involved in preparing analyses for committee members.  I prepped witnesses for testimony. I wrote letters to constitutents, etc.   And in my spare time on vacation, I planned fundraisers!!

By the time I left, I realized that all politicians are elected because they proposed a better way.  They became THE person who was going to make changes when they got "elected."   And many did mean that but when they got into the system, they soon found out that they didn't have the power to make the changes they wanted to make, they had to make "nice" to those members who did have the power to appoint members to committees and the ability to help legislation pass or fail with just a few phone calls.   

After 20 years of being gone from the State Capitol, only a few names stick out of politicans that respected their staffs, meant what they said, and really were compassionate about the condition of life  their constitutents experienced.     Some were powerful, some were experienced but all of them had integrity they knew who they were and what they were about.  The reputation of a newly elected legislator preceded them before they step foot in the capitol.  What kind of person?  What were their stances in the past on issues in their previous elected position or community service?   Pretty much folks were evaluated by the power brokers of the legislature and one would have to work theilr way up to a position of influence either by bucking the power and/or becoming "one of them." 

So when Barak Obama showed up on the scene and made such an impression on me as a result of his speech at the Democratic National Convention, I thought, he would make a great President one day!!    A few years later, he is here, running for President.   Hearing his endorsement by the Kennedy's  and watching the crowds reactions, made me weep.    I am hopeful and my cynicism is wavering and I am beginning to believe again that perhaps this time I will see change and the transformation process will begin in our nation with the election of Barak Obama and the hard work and support of the American people!

PUt me out of my Misery, Please!!!

Yesterday, I had to go to the Post Office and usually my wait is not very long.  But this day, the line was out the door and only one person helping at the counter.   It was my luck that I stood next to a woman who doesn't appreciate the value of silence.  This is where my misery began...there was a child in the line who was very cute and happy, all in the line had a great smile whenever he laughed and looked our way...the woman next to me decided that I must be baby friendly (go figure!) and proceeded to talk to me about babies.  I was very polite.  She asked if I had children.  I responded yes (my mistake) and then for the next 20 minutes (yes that's how long it took to get to the front of the line) I learned that she had a baby when she was 18, she started dating her husband when she was 15 they are still married and he is turning 50.  Her husband's father died at the age of 52 so she's making him go to the doctor.  Her daughter "name" was 26 and finally moved out of the house with her best friend who is like her sister.  But her daughter, still comes home and has her father do her laundry and she comes over to eat most of the time to save money.   But as parents they must have done something good, both of her children have graduated from college (I was afraid to ask what they did now..so I didn't)  Then, i found out that her mother left her three sisters and her dad took care of them.   Oh it goes on...the story of her father being reunited by a lost daughter, the lectures she give her kids that very few folks who were married as teenagers were still married....by the time I got to the front of the line.  I wanted to kiss the clerk because that's when she stopped talking.   You can tell that the people around me also didn't want to hear her story, everytime the chapter in her life changed, there was a unison sigh from the folks around.   I mistakenly did the "pastor" thing, nodding my head and trying to care!!!  I was really praying that someone would putl me out of my misery ten minutes into the conversation.   The interesting thing is that I rarely said any words, just a nod, and then I turned my head away. 

So what did I learn from this, if the line is long at the Post Office, come back!!!

Goodbye Uncle Frank

Uncle Frank died two weeks ago and his funeral service was last Saturday.    When I say "uncle" he wasn't my uncle by blood, if that matters, he was my uncle by faith.   Uncle Frank was an elder of Trinity Presbyterian Church in Stockton.  The church I was baptized by and was accepted as a member of all the families at Trinity.    I have many uncles and aunties and each one has been a special mentor and supporter of my life.
Uncle Frank at my ordination was the first to come out of the pew to give me a hug.  Many people thought he was my dad.  There are stories abound about this man.  His sense of humor, his loyalty to the disenfranchised, his love for his family and church and his great roses and cooking.    His story is similar to many Filipinos who came here at the age of 16 to make a better life for himself.   He has an amazing story and amazing accompalishments I hope that you will click on his story Frank Ramos Perez .

We celebrated his life at Trinity and sitting in the sanctuary I truly felt I was surround by saints.  My aunties and uncles who are now with God and also celebrated their lives at Trinity.   Without them, I would not be where I am today.  Their constant love and affirmation of my family has shaped me to be the woman I am today.  I lament that in many churches today, life is too busy and too complicated to simply say to young people or children, I care and I'll be there for you.  For churches to become the aunties and uncles of all the children of God is my wish for the church today.   So that all of us will have an "Uncle Frank" or "Auntie Angel or Auntie Mary," that will hold our hands as we journey through life. 

Personal Space

The other day, I was in a college bookstore for Kevin (I know, enabling again!)  I hadn't been in one for some time.   As soon as one enters, you stand in line to order your books.  The line was long.  In front of me, two people ahead was a young lady who noticed a young man three people back of me.   She begins her conversation  with the young man.  I learned where she lived,what they did during January intersession,  how much she missed the man, the neighborhood the young man lived an, when the last time they saw each other, their plans for college at East Bay State College, their majors but the most shocking to me was her sharing her grades in her last two classes, Astrology she got a "C" and a "B" in Psychology. I would never share this much information in public space but...I guess personal space has now gotten larger with cell phones and wi-fi.     You'll never hear me shouting across people my personal information about family or grades, times are a changing or maybe its just this one young lady who figures that the five people who she talked over, don't matter!  or maybe I should not have been listening!!

Ava and Leaves

I am a very proud Lola.  My granddaughters remind me of the importance of looking at the world through their eyes.   Evelyn is very matter of fact about life.   Abigail has a style for fashion.  Annie is...well, Annie shows me the importance of "me."    Ava is the youngest who also sees life as a great time!

The other day , she and I had lunch with her mom at work at the University of the Pacific.  I let her walk down the long sidewalk to the office.   She was her regular happy go lucky self.  The wind started to blow and she started laughing and then she started chasing leaves and continued to laugh.   The whole time to walk to Deanne's office took about 15 minutes because Ava would stop to watch the leaves fly in the wind, laugh and then walk a bit and then stop to laugh.   

Such a sight to see this litter girl about two feet high, laughing loudly and putting a smile on every student who walked by her.  When she had an opportunity to inspect the leaves, it was with careful scrutiny.  Then she crumpled it up and went on her way.

A great time for me to see the presence of God in her laughter and enjoyment of the wind.   I wonder when I stopped noticing the wind and laughing about the leaves!