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| Celebrating Heather's graduation with family and friends - June 2012 |
“He
went to the church, and walked about the streets, and watched the people
hurrying to and fro, and patted the children on the head, and questioned
beggars, and looked down into the kitchens of homes, and up to the windows, and
found that everything could yield him pleasure. He had never dreamed of any
walk, that anything, could give him so much happiness. ”
“For
it is good to be children sometimes, and never better than at Christmas, when
its mighty Founder was a child Himself.”
―
Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol
Cheers and Merry Christmas from the Norris Family! It’s time again to mark another year, and remember
the sad and the joyful, the gains and the losses along the way. But with God’s hope on our side, the
landscape looks completely different, as it did that Christmas day long ago to
an awakened and reborn Ebenezer Scrooge.
A Senior and a Freshman
Kelly is now a Senior at DePaul University in Chicago.
Kelly is looking forward to her last 6 months of college, having just returned
from yet another adventure, this time to Honduras. While there, she spent a week volunteering at
the Nuevo Paraiso orphanage and school. For Christmas, we are considering
the purchase of a t-shirt for her that will read “I Don’t Know Yet”, which
should serve to defuse the questions she constantly receives about her
post-college future from all the grown-ups she knows. Her sense of adventure, her love for friends,
kids of all sizes and ages, and her ability to bring people together is a
wonder to behold. Before her departure
for Honduras, she hosted 20 people in her Lincoln Park apartment for an early
“Friendsgiving”, featuring her Dad’s super-secret and famous caramelized onion
gravy. She will be teaching somewhere on
Planet Earth after graduation. Stay
tuned for what will certainly be exciting developments!
Heather wants you all to know that she is a proud Husky Freshman
at the University of Washington. Bow
Down! She is involved everywhere; will
be starting Young Life leader training soon, and will be living next quarter in
the Vision 16 women’s Christian community house, very close to campus. She has already made what will likely be
life-long close friendships, found a home at University Presbyterian church, finds
her classes interesting and challenging, got to rush the field twice during game-end
upsets during Husky football season (vicarious joy for Dad!), and is actually
enjoying the near-daily rain of the Emerald City. Her direction is a psychology major, with a
possible minor emphasis in education or speech and hearing sciences. A special shout-out goes to our dear Seattle
friends, who have opened their homes and loved our girl like she is one of
their own.
On Giving and Loving Others
Nancy’s year has again been one
focused on giving her time and her heart to others. This year brought trips Chicago, Austin,
Spokane, Colorado Springs, and a special Toronto visit for Grammie Ruth’s 80th
birthday. This fall we took a wonderful road trip to Seattle in late September to
drop Heather off at UW, and we planned an extra week coming home slowly, with
stops in Victoria BC, drives along the gorgeous Oregon coast, and amazing
dinners in Napa and Carmel. Nancy has seen increased responsibilities (and
joy, she adds!) as the President of the Board of Club21 – a learning and
resource center in Pasadena for families with children who have Down syndrome. This has been a great blessing for us all, as
our involvement has taught us deep lessons about the upside down nature of
God’s care for those with special needs.
We are so much richer for our involvement!
Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch
As for me, the slightly dazed looking fellow deep in the
middle years of middle age, there are times when I can hardly take it all in
without a moment of blurry vision caused by tears. I am so thankful and amazed at it all. I can sit in my house on a cool November
night and text one daughter in Honduras and the other in Seattle at the same
time (from a phone that fits in my pocket!).
Two beautiful and amazing girls at great colleges. The blessing of 24 years of marriage to a
lovely wife who tolerates my oddities.
We are adjusting to this empty nest; the nest may be empty, but our
hearts are very full indeed! I am still
employed, and the boss is a wonderful, yet modest guy. Oh, he is also mildly handsome, given his age
and hair challenges.
In Closing – A
Reflection
Each day, a gift.
Every one. We were reminded of this
quite recently, as we joined hundreds for a memorial service for a good friend,
husband, and father of three, taken from us all by cancer far too early in life
at just 51 years. A profoundly good man;
an example of what love, friendship, and faithfulness to family really looks
like. Men like Don are a rarity these
days. Those of us who remain down here
for a while longer have a deep responsibility to continue a meaningful legacy
of love, laughter, and encouragement to those around us. Beyond our little accomplishments or the successes
of our kids, these are the things that really matter. As Christmas approaches, the days and years seem
to blur together, just like in the times of Mr. Scrooge; with all the “people
hurrying to and fro”. But there is an
important Christmas question for us in the midst of the hurrying. Will we take the time to slow down, stop, and really
listen to and love those in need around us?
Will we become like the transformed Mr. Scrooge? Can we create lives that embrace others, like
the mighty Founder of Christmas himself? We have
another year in front of us. “God Bless
us, every one!”
