Like a Willow

This entry written by Salix Bough

My sister had her birthday.

We know her third trait… and we know what that means. We also know who’s heir.

We celebrated her birthday morning in true Bough style, by running together on the treadmills while watching the cooking channel and encouraging each other. Run faster! Harder! Got you beat! No way!

It is so awesome to have a bro for a sister! 🙂

We had a breakfast party, and before all the guests even arrived we broke out the cake. I’m not sure what Shug wished for, but she was so intent on wishing.

And she rolled… Music lover!

Which makes me… the heir.

It’s such a perfect trait for her. Ever since she was a kid, she’s always been about being well-rounded and wanting to try everything. I think it’s how she expresses her glutton trait. It’s not really like she’s a pig, or anything, she’s just got this amazing zest to do everything.

So, she’s already a mansion baron, and now she’s close to being a body builder, and so with her music lover trait, she’ll be able to get into her creative side, too. It’s so sweet! A body-building music lover.

You know, when I think back, I realize that she’s almost always listening deeply to music. I’m happy for her.

The party was cool. We invited all our friends and our cousin Irving.

I looked around during the party, and it was kind of funny–the only women guests were Miracle and Ashleigh! All the rest of our friends are guys. I’m not sure how it turned out that way. I like to befriend everybody. It just seems like wherever I go, when I’m ready to meet a new friend, it’s always guys that are around!

Which brings us back to… I’m the heir.

You know, I feel so happy.

I think I never wanted to dare wish that I’d be heir, because I wanted to be genuinely happy for Sugar if she earned it by rolling goofball. But now that I’m moving into this role, it feels so right.

In fact, it feels like what I was born to do. Like I’ve got a purpose now.

I think I was sort of just hanging out with life, not really wanting to commit to anything, until we knew who’d be the heir. Because what could I really commit to, anyway? What if I chose something that would require me to move away from home or not have kids? That would end the the legacy, if I did become heir.

And now. Here I am. The one to keep the family going. It’s what I’ve always wanted to do.

There’s just something about family.

Sometimes I watch my aunt Poplar, and I feel so–I don’t know–sort of honored to be part of her family. She’s so talented and so nutty–but it’s more. It’s like she’s got this spark that is earmarked with the name Bough. And to think that I’m part of that.

Aunt Poplar’s been so happy lately. She retired from work. She said she was just tired of being around idiots all day every day and having to fight for every line of code.

Now, she spends her time painting and talking with our friends. She’s got this joy about her now.

She’s hardly ever mean anymore, though I think the party got to be a bit much for her, for by the end of it, she started yelling at our friends. Well, they know how to yell back, so I don’t think anybody much got hurt. We just cleared the room!

As the party was winding down, I headed up to the rooftop. There’s just so much to think about now. So much to let settle in.

From the roof, I heard Dillon and Sugar Maple say goodbye to all the party guests. Soon, everyone will have left, and it will just be the three of us here again, just family, until the next friend or cousin drops by to hang out for a while.

I know I’ve got a lot ahead of me. I’ve got to choose somebody to have a few kids with. I need to raise those kids so one of them can take over. And then… then I’ve got to make my own march through life, too.

Just the day before, I suddenly missed Mom so much. I guess I was thinking then, what if I did become heir? What then?

I thought of all she’d done. How she just dove into her purpose with a single focus. How she’d just been this amazing mom who kept her career as a professional athlete and just had this way of dancing through life.

What if it fell to me? Could I do the same, in my own style?

I missed her so much.

I felt a lot of strength out there standing by that long row of tombstones. All those who’ve gone before.

And now, here I am. Ready to take my part in this long line. I wonder what lies ahead.