Whilst ill.

Today I got an emergency phone call from my youngest sister and also from my dad, which made me feel a tad alarmed. As it turned out, I was called to the urgent side of my family to see my two nieces, M & M, in a gymnastics meet. Thank the Lord I was able to take the call.

It was a lot of fun--I didn't get to see my sister when she was just this age, because I was already married and living in the land of Utah, whereas she was floor-routining (beaming, vaulting, barring?) it up in California, then Massachusetts, then California again. I did get to see her as a college gymnast which made me feel so dang proud. And my dad informed me today that she was a champion in high school on the beam. So it was a very big deal, and now these girls are awesome, just like their mom. It was hilarious and completely enjoyable, to see these bouncy, flex-y girls--my nieces, but all the other girls as well--with energy and springiness to spare, all over the gym, doing their very serious routines, each routine completed with an excellent hand flourish. My nieces always oblige me whenever I see them by doing the very beginning of the floor routine, which involves highly flourish-y hand gestures and a wonderful twisty dance move (wish I had a better noun for it, but I just don't).

Anyway: one of the Ms happened to be sick today. As in, "had to have a shot of penicillin" sick. But she really, really wanted to compete, and so she did, and she did great. Just like I feel like I'm coming down with a little spring cold, but I really really wanted to write a poem, so I did.