Lighting the way...

Illustration by Adrienne Adams

If you follow me on instagram, then you already know that, yesterday, I was up in Hannah's room snapping pictures. I've been thinking about that a lot lately. I've been wanting to take pictures of simple things like: the ukulele leaning in the corner of my room next to an unhung painting of a banjo, a crocheted rhino standing on the metal shelf in my closet, or a cup of coffee in the shadow of a stack of school books. We take for granted that we'll remember these peaceful mini-vistas. They are the backdrop and part of the setting for so many memories. Things that are so familiar today will one day be forgotten. I can remember when my kids were a bit younger, I used to think "these are the glory years", but now, I think these are the glory years. They haven't replaced the former ones, they are just a very long extension. I love these days.

So, yesterday, I went up to see Hannah during her writing time. She was sitting on the floor next to her mushroom stool, listening to music, and talking to herself as she wrote. I could hear her as I was walking up the stairs. Last year, on her birthday, which is steadily approaching again, she set a goal to write a book & she's now almost done with the first draft. The book has nine chapters, which she laid out in the beginning. Each chapter highlights a new adventure or encounter experienced by a little boy named Erven. The sweetness of the book is Erven's unique perspective. As you observe his antics, you find yourself growing and stretching and shrinking as well, and I mean that in the most philosophical way. The largeness of your world will be swallowed up by the smallness of his; you'll find yourself understanding things you already knew. You'll find that you're a better person after a short walk home from school with Erven. So anyway, that's the best I can do to describe it on short notice & I'm excited for you to read it. It's amazing when your kids are writers. As they painstakingly light the way, you get to see all the shiny things hiding under the surface of the day to day.