99 - Dad

Internet, meet my dad.  Well, one side of him anyway... :)

We are working on adding tile to the walls of our kitchen - a family endeavor.  I took this picture as a memory I will always have of my dad, the constant handyman and amazing craftsman.

I also took this picture because today was a reminder of the importance of family and what we do together.  My best friend's father passed away this past Wednesday from close to a year long battle with leukemia.  In October, 2010 he was given a number of weeks to live - not past Thanksgiving - but he pushed through for another 5, almost 6 months.  His strength for his family and in his faith was admirable.  Admittedly, I did not know him all that well and the man I heard about at the memorial service this afternoon is one that I wish I had gotten to know better.  There is a lesson to be learned from all people - something I should know and trust more often.  In spite of that, I still saw in David his immense love for his family whenever I visited my best friend and her sisters.  Together, he and their mother have raised their girls to be beautiful and strong and they are a family that I have always and will continue to admire.  They are friends - family - very near and dear to my heart.

The service made me pause and think about my own family.  I take less for granted now that I'm away from home for a majority of the year, but taking time to reflect on what they mean to me is not something I always have or use in that way.  We are a family of love and laughter.  That is something always evident when I am home. :)  My parents have brought my sister and I up to be smart and respectful people who set high goals and achieve them - not for their sake but because of the appreciation for a job done well that they have instilled in us.  My sister, who is almost on the brink of adulthood (scary!) is maturing into a lovely young woman and a talented visual artist.  My mom is a firecracker and busy bee, whose strength and love for her family are a constant variable in our lives.  My dad is adventurous and ambitious and his love for us is evident in his faithful care for our well-being.

Like I said, just some thoughts...

I'll leave you with Yoda's words and David's headstone (because it's something else I want to remember):

"Do, or do not.  There is no try."

Love&Harmony,

Erin