Last weekend we celebrated our friend Sybil’s 82nd birthday and our nephew, Patrick’s, high school graduation. The two events were bookends to each other, a celebration of creativity at both ends of the human life span.

I’ve written about Sybil before. A former editor for the LA Times, Sybil moved to Maine so that she could be near her daughter and her family. She lives in Brunswick in an apartment that is close enough to town so that she can walk to most things, including the Evening Star Cinema and Gelato Fiasco. Sybil is very much involved with the Theater Project—in a recent post I wrote about going to one of Sybil’s shows—and she and another theater buddy (can’t remember her name!) are busy planning what they will be writing and performing next year. Sybil has had her share of hard times—I won’t get into them here—but those hard times have not diminished either her vitality or her zest for life. My husband, Clif, and I took her out to eat at the Great Impasta, and Sybil and I both ordered the same thing, ravioli with roasted asparagus.  How lovely it was.

Afterward, we went to Gelato Fiasco, which is just down the street.

“Let’s take our gelato outside,” Sybil suggested.

No argument from either Clif or me. The day was beautiful.

As we set our gelato on the table, Sybil exclaimed, “Ah, life is good!”

Yes, it is, and so wonderful to be able to share this day with Sybil.

At the other end of things, is our only and favorite nephew Patrick. (As I’m fond of saying, he’d still be our favorite nephew even if he wasn’t our only one.) Is it possible that “little” Patrick has become “very tall” Patrick and has graduated from high school? It seems that it is. As an aunt, I feel as though I have bragging rights, but I will keep it brief. Out of 170 students, Patrick was sixth in his class, and he won several awards. From the time Patrick was young, he has had a passion for art and drawing, and he has become a talented artist. He’ll be attending the University of Maine at Orono, where he’ll be studying computer programming. Perhaps the most impressive thing about Patrick is his good attitude, his ability to weather the inevitable rough spots that come to every teenager’s life. Again, I’m not going to go into details, but here’s the thing: Patrick doesn’t waste one minute feeling bitter or sorry for himself when things don’t go his way. On he goes, getting the very most out of what’s available to him.

To paraphrase a saying that was common in 1990s: Wherever Patrick goes, his good attitude will go with him. And it will serve him well.

So here I am, at 54, almost exactly between these two extraordinary people—Sybil and Patrick—and inspired by both of them.

Happy birthday, Sybil, and best wishes to Patrick!