We were video chatting when Violet showed us the certificate she received from her teacher, honoring her for exemplifying the character trait peace. I asked her what she did to show that trait at her school. There was a poignant pause; then she said, “Well, I know a lot about friendship and kindness, and I’m…
Tag: Family
Advent Joy and Wonder
I’ve been scrolling for photos on my phone of days past with Aunt Phyllis in order to capture her child-like faith, joy, and wonder. I described the memorial service and the attentiveness to details surrounding joy, and it’s not by accident that the focus of her service and this week’s Advent calendar is JOY. The…
When the Saints Go Marching In
We said goodbye to our dear Aunt Phyllis on Saturday. As I had mentioned in a previous post, we had the special opportunity to visit with her over the last couple of months, and every visit was sacred, even in the last week, on Thanksgiving morning, when she could no longer speak. But we could…
The Real Safety Net
I mentioned in a previous post that Mark’s Aunt Phyllis was an artist with clay. The first photo shows a gift she once gave to Jerry representing his and Genevieve’s three sons: Michael, who died at birth on Christmas Day 1945 (notice the baby in their arms); Todd and Mark and their respective families. The…
Standing on the Edge
“You’ll never be younger than you are today.” This was a phrase a friend shared with me a few years ago which her husband often quoted. Mark and I have been talking quite a bit lately about how we want to spend the last quarter of our lives. (Actually it’s closer to the two minute…