2nd Birthday

It really is hard to believe it has been two years since Jordan was born. We certainly miss that boy and are excited to be with him again in the eternities.  Here on earth, I think we miss him for what could have been and that gap doesn't really go away.  I am sure Jordan, with an eternal perspective now, doesn't have to miss us in the same way; but I wonder if he is able to feel how much we love him.

Today we went to the cemetery with balloons and ate lunch by Jordan's grave. It was a perfect, sunny day, and we wrote notes to Jordan and tied them to the balloons and let them go.  Michael reminded us they would come down somewhere and become litter (sorry), but everyone seemed to feel more connected to Jordan as we watched those notes reach higher and higher and ultimately disappear.  Aaron wanted to know when they reach heaven and I told him they arrived as soon as we wrote them.

With all the heartache that comes with losing a brother and a son, the clarity that this life is about loving and caring for others becomes more clear every day. No income or opportunity or accomplishment can surpass the value of truly loving others. And when everything else begins to fade, as it all will, all that's left is that love.

I am working still to slow down and breath and reconnect each day with the fact that personal character and love of others are what allow me to spend an eternity with Jordan.

Happy 2nd Birthday little guy.  See you soon.

Joy

Our family lost a friend this week; someone we had known when we first came to the state.  It had been many years since we were around her but I remember how kind she and her whole family were.

There isn't a way to truly express what life is worth.  The joy we feel in the time we spend with family and friends is a small reminder of this worth in the same way light each day reminds us there is a sun.  We hope each day is a discovery of even more joy and through this, we know just how valuable we are.