Every year, around this time, the kids living at Joshua Station get excited about the fruits and vegetables in our community garden. They have been drawn to this oasis of vegetation for a number of reasons. Early on I learned that just before a tomato begins to turn red, it makes a wonderful dodgeball. Everything changed when we decided the families living at Joshua Station could “own” a section of the garden and reap the fruits of their labor in the fall. Apparently, the idea of mom finding out it was you who destroyed the tomato plant is more intimidating than Ben finding out. But still, even without the dodgeball element, the kids are drawn in, amazed by the birthing of life unfolding jus
There’s an ancient proverb from Cornwall, England which says “In summer, remember winter.” The Celts’ celebration of the summer solstice honors the spirit of this proverb. Summer days are long with sunlight and warmth. There is much to celebrate. But this festival of the earth also remembers that the beautiful days of summer do not last forever. The harvest of fall and the darkness of winter will come again. In summer, remember winter. This awareness cultivates a deep sense of gratitude. I suspect it is for this reason that my tear ducts seem to be extra leaky lately. I hug my two year old daughter a bit closer (when she slows down enough to let me). And I squeeze my husband’s hand a bit tig
Josh began weeping as soon as we pulled up to Joshua Station. He saw that greeting him at the office was not his mother, but the family who had agreed to care for him and his brother once his mother passed away—something that we all knew could happen any day. The consideration was even made that perhaps the boys shouldn’t go to camp this year. We knew they would be destroyed if she passed while they were gone. Ultimately their mother made the decision that they needed to live lives as close to normal as was possible, so they went. Though she did eventually pass away, his mother was simply in the hospital receiving treatment when Josh and his brother came home from camp. This update did littl
