welcome back jules!

welcome back to the mess and the mundane and the beautiful life that is all of it. all the things.

reading about your vacation had me reflecting on how ‘spoiled’ i was. how ‘spoiled’ i am.

i have a family that made time for adventure, for experience. and also made time for us. time to drive us to extra-curriculars. time to help us pack for our own adventures. and freedom – oh such a gift – freedom to make our own decisions!

i was thinking about my sister and her husband. how they have the space in their hearts and lives to welcome foster kids. and so much of that comes from how they were raised. josh is from a home where they modelled welcoming others in. and now they share a home with my parents, who create extra space by giving their time and their love to those kids whenever needed.

and i mean, really, we were spoiled. we weren’t spoiled materially (though we were most definitely blessed. and privileged). but we were spoiled emotionally and relationally. we were poured into and cared for and nurtured.

it is funny the things you remember, the things that stick in your memory.

like the pot of coffee put on at 2am so i could finish an assignment (rather than a lecture on procrastination).

or the hot water bottle placed in my bed so it’d be warm when i finally finished and could sleep briefly before school.

the patient wake-up calls in the morning and the corresponding late-slips.

the last minute errands done to help before a big flight – money exchanged and emergen-c’s packed.

or the special stops on road trips – the science centres and waterslides always plotted into the budget to make long journeys fun and memorable.

i could go on and on. (and, maybe someday i will)

and i am sure, that some of those things ‘spoiled’ us — i am probably more lazy and less responsible now than i may have been otherwise (refer back to my ‘flossing’ letter)…

but, ultimately, we were nurtured. nourished. and prepared.

prepared to make space in our lives for others.

prepared to nurture. to nourish.

and even to this day, they still make it possible. if we are hosting something or trying to make someone else feel better — my parents will go out of their way to make that happen.

they will make butter chicken in the kitchen, traipse back to the driving shed to gather tools, stay up late to staple handbooks, or run into town for those last-minute groceries.

and so, we are blessed. privileged. and spoiled.

rich with memories. rich with support. and rich with love.

and when i picture your time away – that is what i sense. such richness.

such a wealth of experiences. a wealth of stories. a wealth of nurturing. a wealth of memory.

i am so excited to see how your small humans grow to pass on these gifts.

and so excited to hear more of the stories…

soon!

with you,

ruthi