Rites of Kids

One of the most unexpected things about Rites this year was the kids.

The kids at Rites are always great--sometimes annoying, but great. Kids have such an interesting outlook on the world in general, and pagan kids are more skewed in particular. But this year, there were babies. No less than half a dozen couples brought children under one year of age with them to Rites. At the maypole, they all ran up at the beginning, and rather than make an announcement of what had happened in the last year, they just held the babies up.

Somewhere behind my right shoulder, I heard L's voice say, "When did we become grown-ups?"

A couple of my friends noted that the Rites kids were beginning to look to them . . . regardless of not having kids of their own. I think maybe my generation is finally coming of age, in its own, inimitable way.

But wow, it was hard to see the babies and know that I won't have one of my own for some time, yet. It'll be rough when I see the little ones at the family reunion in two weeks, too.