Christmas 2009
Paul and I celebrated our 40th wedding anniversary this year….bringing back memories of a Friday the 13th, 1969 and chocolate wedding cake! It was a portent that the course of our joined lives would be less traveled then the white cake crowd! It still is less traveled. 17 years and 10 kids later, after Rebecca graduated from high school we have Masha, age 17, living in our home going to high school. Not every 60 year old couple enjoys raising a teen!
Jesus took the “road less traveled” as well. For Jesus there was no litmus test of residency or income as to who he would heal and who he would not. Jesus was the original administrator of “universal health care”! While talking the talk we, as a nation are not walking the walk. We have become a faithless generation that preaches the abundant grace and love of God while making decisions based on a model of scarcity… “There is enough for me but unfortunately there is not enough for you.” Jesus, the original Christian, modeled a way of love and servanthood to the poor, he didn’t fight for a way of life for the comfortable.
To the best of our ability Paul and I modeled a way of inclusive love for our children. One by one they have moved out of our lives and into their own. Some formed unions, had kids of their own. Some stay in touch. Others we haven’t heard from in months and months. Reb, her daughter Alexandra (4) and her husband Pedro are returning to Virginia in January after 5 years living in France. We spent a wonderful week with them in Fez, Morocco on our last visit. Jon flies for Continental and is waiting for the time when the job yields more then poverty wages. He is so generous with his flight benefits that Paul and I get more out of his employment then he does. Matthew is a pilot for Republic Airlines and loves going to work every day. He recently graduated with a Bachelor of Science that now qualifies him to move up to the major airlines if and when the industry is hiring again. When he is at home he is the lead trainer for the Summit County Search and Rescue Team while mentoring a Boy Scout through his Eagle project. Ruben is still cooking at the Mountain Lyon Café. His fiancé Cassie and his daughter Cassie (5) are lights in our lives. Cassie started kindergarten this year in a Spanish/English dual language school. Showing the spunk of her parents she found herself in time out on the third day of school! Robert, out of prison where a beating left him brain damaged, is living safely in a group home in Denver. Rachel and Kellie, with Derek (4) are in Lincoln teaching at the University of Nebraska. Brandon and Alex stay in touch. Jamie, Jesse and Amber do not.
Paul continues to work for the local Ace Hardware Store as a buyer and serves on the board of a homeowner’s association where we have a few small rental units. I rejoice that the work in Haiti is going well. With the help of Summit County Rotary and Lord of the Mountains we completed installing a water/septic system with showers, toilets and sinks in Good Samaritan Home for Seniors in Jeremie. Due to the generosity and support of friends we are able to also send sufficient money each month to provide a subsistence diet for the seniors. My new undertaking this year was starting up a Community Dinner in cooperation with our church, Rotary Club and Elks Lodge. We started with 50 people and are now serving 300 every Tuesday. It has become a huge county wide effort and is well supported by churches, town boards, resorts and individuals. Organizing the volunteers and food each week consumes as much time and energy as a part time job!
Paul and I travel, sometimes together…….. This year we went to Paris and Morocco with Rebecca and Alexandra for several weeks. Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta in the fall. Las Vegas last spring with Masha. (If you are ever in Vegas…see KA, the Cirque du Soleil production. Amazing!)
We work, sometimes on the same thing……..
We worship……almost always together.
Life is good! Love is experienced abundantly and God is found where Jesus went….on the road less traveled.
Deborah & Paul