Lane von Herzen: A Son's Birthday Cake

My Third Novel's Conclusion, My Heartbreak

My heart begins to break when I think about completing this particular book -- because this narrative has sustained me like no other story I've known. It's both more personal and more universal than my other works. But beyond memory and archetype, it's a cri-de-coeur about needing to become the person one is destined to be. And in the writing, I have met my own life's work, my own fated journey -- having the sense all the while that the pages are suffused with a resonance, an energy, an electrified field that defies explanation. Writers hope and pray to be overtaken by a work in this way -- to be conscripted into passionate service of a profound story. To experience it even once in a lifetime seems a great privilege. I still have several months before this novel is complete, and this constitutes my reprieve. Because I'm not ready for the beauty to end.

Sunday, March 19, 2023

A Son's Birthday Cake

OIG Hotline investigators, this is to document that I spent a portion of the day today baking a chocolate cake for my younger son, whose birthday was on Friday.

After my husband and older son joined him for lunch at the Fish Market, the three of them came home and we shared two hours together, with conversation, birthday cake, and gifts by a warm fireplace.

We discussed travel, pets, the recent banking challenges, minor daily events. I shared with my son a part of the remarkable journey of his birth, and attempted to convey the love that accompanied that journey from the beginning.

Because of the fact that my son has experienced repeated and undue pressure from his FBI handler to misreport the details of our family gatherings, my husband audio recorded the entirety of their lunch together, and I recorded our visit at home. This documentation may be made available to investigators upon request.

It is our hope that this precaution will mitigate the attempts of our son's wayward FBI handler to coerce him into signing falsified witness statements for the FBI concerning our family.

Please be aware that I am in receipt of myriad threats from FBI affiliates concerning the upcoming airline travel of family members in general. There are specific mentions of harmful Air Force intervention of some kind, though I have received no threat pertaining to a specific flight.

My husband will travel to San Diego tomorrow, March 20th, on Southwest Airlines, returning on Thursday, March 23rd. And my younger son and his girlfriend will travel to Mexico on American Airlines for a friend's wedding on Friday, March 26th(AA2904, AA1919), returning on Sunday, March 28th (AA1850, AA1175).

We discussed the safety problems in Mexico at this time, along with concerns of corruption affecting Mexican law enforcement. My younger son has said that private security will be meeting him on his arrival and accompanying him back and forth from the wedding location to his hotel, the Quinta Real.

I asked my son to check the State Department website regarding specific cautions for this region of Mexico.

Thank you for allowing me to document the details of this loving family gathering today.

Most sincerely,