Soft Snow

Our daughter, Stephie, shared a cartoon. It was a beautiful winter night. The cartoonist was outside shovelling snow from his sidewalk. As he stopped to gazed in wonder at the beauty alll around him, he had a thought. "This snow is so soft, I will make a vow to myself never to be unhappy the rest of my life."

Rob is happy tonight and we are very proud of him. He has bolstered his position as Honored Big Brother by taking second place out of 25 runners in a 1600 yard run in a Junior High track meet today. His team also came in second on their relay race. Two red ribbons made a long, cold day worthwhile. This evening as he and Dad sat chatting about Japan during W.W. II, James thought of an excuse to come out of his bed to join in. He loves to discuss too.

When I think back to decisions we made regarding Rob, and the hours I spent with him hiking the woods behind out home, talking as we'd lie on our backs in a field looking up at the sky, I am so very grateful we could homeschool him for several years. Who would have guessed that he was being prepared for this? His teachers say he has a spirit of peace on him. His consistency and equanimity are just what his younger brothers need modelled.

Occasionally now I hear James saying quietly to himself, "My mama" or "I love you." This is something for a little guy who had to take care of himself for as long as he did, who slept on a park bench "like that one under our trees, Mom" A couple times he was hit while crossing the street. One time a driver just drove on. Another time the driver took him to the hospital where he got warmed and fed until he got over the feeling of not remembering who or where he was. He thinks he was there a couple months.

The boys and I had a conversation about taking rides with strangers. James understood my warnings, but also shared how a stranger had found him sick at the roadside and taken him to the hospital. No wonder his eyes get big when I tell the story of the Good Samaritan.

Then boys say their brains are smart because they never sniffed glue. I believe God prevented them from harming themselves. James did drink and smoke, I don't know how much, but as he explained "you do zeez things becose your mother does them, and you just copy her." Nightly they pray for their classmates and specific kids they want to see in a good family. We will hopefully prepare send some pictures of those kids and letters to send along with a family who will travel to adopt later this month.

Peter claims a boy in his class is his brother, but James explains that they just crossed themselves and said they would be brothers. The kids do that so they can say they have family. I pray for discernment regarding stories he tells. Yesterday he said when he was very little he cared for chickens, and today mentioned a cockoo clock he had in his "home". Since we was in the orphanage from birth, I don't know where these stories come from, likely things he has heard. He does have some lovely pictures taken by the missionaries of activities with the children. He is invariably smiling. What a happy wonderful child!

Well, good night all.