shelley, jason, ava & addy

everyone has a story. we’re learning to love ours. it has chapters like any good read. the early ones speak to two small town families. one up north eating bagels and raising three light haired girls and another living down south, eating biscuits and wrangling three dark haired boys. there’s a chapter in the middle entitled before there was you. it tells tales of past boyfriends/girlfriends, cheerleading camp, family vacations, graduations and divorce. one of my favorite chapters is right in the middle. i read it over and over again because well, this is a love story after all. it’s not an original script. boy and girl are at a college party and boy asks girl to dance. girl declines. boy keeps asking and girl smiles at his relentless pursuit. girl gives in. it was one of her best decisions to date. boy calls the next day and officially asks girl out. she accepts. girl hangs up the phone and screams. loudly. it’s dinner and a movie and then a kiss goodnight. a very good kiss and her world is never the same. our story has a colorful cast of characters. some that are mentioned in only a sentence, some who set up camp in our hearts for a page or two and still others who are present in chapter after chapter.

these are our friends, jason and shelley and their beautiful little delights, ava and addy.  they are key players, woven deeply into our story. they have taught us that there is power in revealing our weaknesses. that there is beauty to be found in vulnerability and that it’s quite lovely to be needy with one another. they have intimately acquainted themselves with our hearts. they have given our journey dignity. it is impossible to predict how our story will turn out, but when we experience great joy, it’s them we want to share it with first. and when our story takes an unexpected turn, it’s their love we feel most comforted by. we are proud and humbled every time we turn another page and find them waiting and wanting to walk with us into the next chapter.