hello friends,
i often wish the distance to our family wasn't so great. eastern montana to western minnesota and then on to northeastern minnesota is a long, long drive. and there are no good flight options - nothing that allows us to take off or land in any sort of proximity to our home or theirs. so, i write snail mail and email and texts. i use facebook and instagram. i send pictures. i work at keeping us connected.
i came across these pictures again the other day and wanted to share them - i took them in the fall and winter of 2015. that seems so long ago when i look at them! the first picture is of maddie and isaac with my mom and dad. the second is of the kids with ben's mom and dad. we need a redo of both - for comparisons, and because it's not everybody that gets to have pictures taken with all four of their grandparents when they are teenagers. in these pictures, maddie would have been 12 and isaac almost 11. now they are 13 and 14, and isaac is as tall as ben's mom and maddie almost as tall as my mom. i am so hopeful that in the next few moths, we will get together with both sets of grandparents, and i am going to remember to take photos like these. photos for keeping memories and for saving joy and for calling to mind when the days between visits stretch too long.
i'm reminding myself and encouraging you to make the visits, take the pictures, send the mail and the email, make the phone calls, stay in touch with your people and save and share memories. and if you haven't been so good at it, jump in right now. write a note to a parent or silbling or in-law. tell them a funny thing that makes you think of them, tell them you love them, tell them something! connect. put yourself out there. speaking from experience, you'll be glad you did.
go gently, love fiercely, and be wonderful, my friends.
love, e