Seth Cariaga is twelve!

Seth

Today is the birthday of my youngest brother, Seth. He's 12 years old today.

Seth was born in Klamath Falls, Oregon and lived in the house that my dad built on the shores of Klamath Lake. Seth inherited much of Dad's charisma and charm; Seth's smile and overall good nature make it nearly impossible to deny him anything. Heaven help the girls at school!

Seth is an avid gamer and an excellent snow-boarder with natural athletic talent. He's also active in the Boy Scouts and loves to camp. At the age of 11, he became a published author, penning "My Super Terrible Bad Day," dedicated to his nephew Torin. It's a humorous story about the disasters that plague an eleven-year-old's life; the story conveys an overall optimism that is most refreshing in these dark economic times.

Seth was only 4 years old when my father passed in 2001. Last summer, when he came to Portland for a visit, I asked him if he remembered Dad. "No," he said. But when he saw how I was saddened by his answer, he tried to soften it. "Well, a little bit," he offered. He's a sweet boy, after all.

At the risk of sounding cliché, I find it bittersweet to see him growing up so fast. Already, he's outgrown the old stories I used to tell him when his childhood imagination found things like rhinoceroses living in the basement to be plausible. "Tweens" have already discarded the romantic notion of a magical world where anything is possible. Alas, alas. Nonetheless, even as Seth approaches manhood, I'll always have those memories of the little boy that used to laugh at all my childish jokes and foolish stories.

Anyway, here's wishing Seth a happy birthday with many more to come. The entire Cariaga clan feels blessed to have him. He's a good boy.