A walk down memory lane.

June 18, 2020. This hike was a special one for Nick and me. It was one of the kids anniversary gifts to us (the other being an AMAZING dance they choreographed). As we walked the Festge trail, Elijah and Penelope asked us to tell stories about our love. For two miles, we shared stories about when we first met, when we were dating, when we got married, and the nine years that followed. We laughed as we recalled the ways we’ve grown and changed in the last 12 years. The kids asked lots of wonderful questions. We celebrated love! We do not spend too much time looking in the review mirror (lest we lose sight of where we are now or where we are going). But every now and then, it’s nice to glance back. To celebrate. To lament. To remember.

Also on this hike, we began preparing for celebration of JUNETEENTH!! While enjoying a picnic lunch we read “All Different Now: Juneteenth, The First Day of Freedom” by Angela Johnson. The book served as a beautiful provocation for meaningful conversation (as good books often do). We remembered the importance of that day, celebrated how far our nation has come, and lamented the grave amount of racial injustice remaining in our country and world today. May we one day live in a country where all of God’s beautiful children really are, truly and rightfully free.