Happy birthday Mama Loo

I love you and I wish I could have been there to celebrate. I'm excited to swim and eat and relax with you in July!

P.S. Look at my brother, the little pterodactyl. He's the cutest.
P.P.S. Yes, I had to look up how to spell pterodactyl, and the ridiculousness of it almost made me choose a different word. Almost.

The boy with the smile

My dear friend Reagan just sent this message and these photos. David and I met him while I taught classes at a "library" for orphans or kids whose parents were too poor to afford proper school. He won my heart with his huge smile and his wiggly hips. He taught me how to dance like a Ugandan.

My mom now pays for Reagan to attend school, so periodically we receive photos and report cards. He is an excellent student, and his teachers are full of praise. With schooling he can grow and learn and have the opportunity to care for his family. Look at his sweet little outfit and his sneaky smile:

Last time we saw each other he was just learning his ABCs! I hope I get to see him soon. I want to tell him how proud I am and talk about how much he has grown. I want to meet his mother and hold his siblings. But most of all, I want to see that smile again.

This is what I did tonight

See the "Marry Me" in the sand?

I'm pretty sure they are happy.

Jenny and me and the boys prepping the site. 

We love you Nate and Melissa!

Sweet words

(Found here)

(Found here)

The sacrifice of a life

A curious thing happened yesterday on Highway 1. We took a trip up to Big Sur with the Schuler sisters (more on that later), and around San Simeon we picked up a hitchhiker. This isn't normal for us- actually, none of us had ever done this before. We passed him walking along the highway, and we felt compelled to offer him a ride. He carried a large pack, and his small body looked tired as he struggled down the road. 

His name was Darrell, and he was a rancher from Montana. It didn't take him long to feel comfortable in the back seat next to the sisters, or perhaps his situation in life made it so that comfort necessary before opening up to strangers. He had come out from Montana for a visit to the coast, and he was making his way up to Eureka where his brother would take him to surgery. He had cancer, and was probably going to die soon.

He told of how he'd spent years in Vietnam and was on the ground when the US sprayed Agent Orange. The government said it was a harmless herbicide that would clear the plant life but leave people unharmed, and the soldiers believed it. They even bathed in the containers. Now, it had given him a tumor in his brain and a few more in his stomach. He spent years feeling helpless as he tried to get the government to take responsibility for what it had done, for stealing his life. He collected 6,000 signatures of soldiers and presented them to representatives in DC, and he saw the signatures thrown into the trash as he walked out the door. 

His entire life has been affected by his years as a soldier. He still has nightmares about what he saw, and did, in Vietnam. He didn't choose this life- he wasn't really given a choice. I wish I could say he taught me some beautiful lesson about how to feel hope and joy despite terrible life experiences, but that is not true. His spirit was beaten down and heavy. He smiled, but there was pain. 

I've never felt much emotion connected to Memorial Day. It is hard for me to comprehend the depth of a sacrifice of an entire life, entire lives...but his story made it easier. 

Darrell's daughter is 6 months pregnant, and we are praying that he lives to see the birth of his granddaughter.  

Felt up by an American Idol

All this talk about American Idol has me thinking about something that took place many years ago...

 

Senior year of high school, my choir took a trip to New York City. We saw a few shows on Broadway (Aida, Rent, The Producers), took a pedi-cab through Times Square, ate late-night pizza, sang with other schools at Carnegie Hall on Easter Sunday, and dropped shampoo-filled shower cap "bombs" on cabs below our hotel. We had fun as only high schoolers can.

One morning a group of us got up really early and headed down to the Today Show. We made a few signs, and stood outside waiting for our media coverage. I asked Al, "Call I shake your hand on air?" He said, "No, but you can shake it right now." Anne called me beautiful (I'm not sure why, except that perhaps she's just that sweet- or insincere- and says it to everyone). Katie shook our hands without saying much, and our attempts at getting Matt to come over and talk were answered with a look that says, "You guys.... I love you but I'm busy here." 

The guest performer was Kimberly Caldwell, one of the top contestants on American Idol season 2. She looked beautiful as she walked around giving autographs to all of her fans. I asked for a picture, and she said, "Sure!" She leaned in, one arm around my shoulder and the other...uh, where should it go...on my boob! Immediately after placing her hand directly on my boob she looked down and gasped in shock. She moved her hand in time for the photo, but the moment was captured on her face for all time. 

Things I'll miss about SLO #2

Hiking Bishop's Peak. I'll miss the little cows who sometimes appear on the hill, and the mountain lions who might or might not live nearby, and the view you get from the top. On a clear day you can see the ocean. On a foggy day you can see God's breath.