Skip to main content

Joyful Dragon

I've been thinking about many things since the beginning of the year. First off I was thinking of how this year will probably be amazing because it's 2014 and 14 is my favorite number. Deep thought, I know. But it lead me to another thought: I better have a good year this year because this is the only year with a 14 in it I'll be living. Also, deep, I know. Hang in there. That lead me to another chain of thoughts which is, hopefully, worth sharing.

It's crazy to me that we humans know we have a limited amount of time on earth. There's a variable to the number of years of course, but a rough estimate is possible, and we make it and live around it. That's a large weight to carry around every day if you stop to think about it. It's hard to know that you'll be gone by a certain time. For example, I know I won't be around in 2114 - which would be my next possible year with a 14 in it. 

Even more amazing is the fact that, in the midst of knowing our start date and a very possible finish date of life, we can experience good things! Despite the knowledge that one day we'll be gone, we can experience joy, love, hope. We can laugh and tell stories and climb mountains and enjoy all of that even though we're operating on a countdown. I find that astounding. It seems more likely to me that little humans would be utterly incapacitated all the time by our eventual end. Sometimes I have struggled greatly with the idea of mortality. I am not saying that we are always able to take this knowledge in stride. But the fact that we are often able to is nothing less than an amazing gift.

It is a gift that I would be able to enjoy moments like these with my sweet baby, Piper Joy, when Auntie Cuz brought her a dragon suit. She came in with just the hat on as proud as could be and I laughed my head off. Every time I see her in this costume, I'll think of her as my joyful dragon.







I encourage you to identify an image or memory that makes you laugh. Think of it throughout the week as a reminder of the gift we have been given!

Comments

  1. KateJanuary 12, 2014 at 2:34 PM

    This is so very dear. See to it that Piper fits in that costume next Halloween: I will dress Jake up as a knight and there will be no bloodshed and lots of pictures.

    ReplyDelete
  2. J. CarsonJanuary 13, 2014 at 11:36 AM

    Man, I wish I had a dragon outfit like that. Maybe for my birthday in March?

    Dad

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Enough

At 1:30 p.m. today, my sister, Nurse Cori, arrives back in the U.S. after a two week medical missions trip to Costa Rica. This is the third in a series of trips, one to Mexico, and one to Jordan. We haven't heard much from her while she's been gone, so everyone is chomping at the bit to get a phone call. All I know at this time is that she got to give a fancy wheelchair to a kid who's been bedridden his entire life. That's so fantastic it makes me cry. At 10:30 a.m. yesterday, my mom and I were walking with a giant red stroller full of sweet baby Piper Joy. Piper was trying to fall asleep and I was trying to rouse her enough to keep her awake through the walk so I could take her home for a good nap. I employed such tactics as jumping while singing and flapping my arms as well as racing ahead of the stroller and executing a 360  to end up facing Piper with a giant grin. Neither of these tactics worked and Piper insisted on falling asleep. On our walk with a sleeping
6 comments
Read more

Easter Fires

We used to live on top of a hill. It was so densely covered in live oaks that you had to drive halfway up the granite driveway before you could see our house - grey and white and tall in the midst of the trees. I can't even imagine how many times I drove up that driveway and caught the familiar glimpse of my home. First, as a high school-er in my blue minivan, then home from college in the old Lexus, then back from Austin in the Miata. I even drove up the drive as a married woman in my beloved Tom's  black Jetta. But we do not live on that hill anymore and I was reminded of that this Easter as I brought my sweet baby Piper to visit her Nan and Pop in their new home. It was not my parents' initial choice to move to a new home. They as well as I pictured their grandchildren coming up the live oak hill for visits. As little as I consciously thought about it, I had always expected to be able to bring my kids back to see where I grew up. But, after last Easter, a fire started
4 comments
Read more

Piper Joy Interlude: Fashion Show

Here is sweet baby Piper Joy trying on her potential flower girl dresses... and various other items! Option A: too large, but sooo cute still! also was worn by Nurse Cori in a wedding back in the day... Option B: A better fit and a bit more chic... Hilarious new swimsuit I found on sale... my beloved Tom thinks it's too grandma-y. Flower girl option C suggested by Piper Joy herself Daddy's hat -  the perfect fashion accessory every time
2 comments
Read more