To Brothers and Sisters

I have been doing a lot of writing/thinking/meditating in self reflection these past months and this process has opened me. I continually return to the deep acknowledgement that it is the experiences, the moments of my life that have shaped my spirit, molded my heart and sculpted my person. While gratefully that process continues, I am blessed with the opportunity to look back and review the cause and effect of the patterns in my days. In this analysis, I have become more aware of the true gifts of my life. Let me name a few:

Monkey bumps,
titty twisters,
elk urine bombs,
crayons in the nose,
skinned knees and bloody elbows.

Sunday afternoons with the boys and a ball,
Bulls with two who are now gone,
My first day of 7th grade knowing that Bubby was there...
Running side by side,
running after,
running to,
listening to her breathing/snoring/whimpering as we sleep side by side,
laughing, crying, celebrating,
playing, hiking, hunting, camping, rafting, kayaking,
surfing, swimming, driving, skiing, scuba diving,
talking, fighting, praying, pleading, wondering, waiting, mourning,
anything...

Baptisms, scout camps, missions, weddings, divorces, births/blessings, graduations, Courts of Honor, meetings, funerals...

They hold my hand,
They hear my words,
They know my heart,

They are anything...They are everything.

P.S. Once again, I cry for pictures not taken...