Thinking is Overrated

This is going to be short. I have been thinking much of family and friends today that I will never again see in this life. Daniel has really been on my mind this weekend so this evening we watched the videos that Becky and Jay made for us for Christmas two years ago. We watched the boys first, then Alisha and Imani, then the girls. . . and then Daniel. Some of the pictures are awful, some are really good; they all have so many memories attached.

One of my favorites of the boys is when they are on the floor with Daniel’s red Lego dragon surrounded by Lego men. Daniel was so proud of and happy with and always thinking of what to add next to his Lego collection. He was willing to share it, as well, and that is just one of the things that made him such a good big brother. I miss him so much.

Another of my favorites is one of Papa holding Daniel when he was a baby.  Papa tried to tell me that he didn’t remember how to hold a baby. I laughed and handed Daniel to him and we were lucky enough to get a picture of it. Joseph never got to meet Papa. I miss him so much.

Another one that I really like is from Amena’s baptism. There is a whole story behind the how and why of how that came to pass the way it did. The picture is of Amena with Doug Vaniman. I think one of the reasons why I like Doug is because he reminds me so much of Papa in so many ways. Being mere mortals, neither was perfect in this life, but both were as good and as honest a man as you could hope to find. I miss him.

These are just a drop in the bucket. There is my dad of whom we have very few pictures. There is my Uncle Mick who would take me for rides when I was a little girl on his motorcycle to Mt. Shasta to get ice-cream. There is my cousin Robert Lee. There is Parley Hamblin. There are many others who have impacted my life as well. I am glad that they all were, and indeed still are, a part of it.