25 Years Since 2000 - Part II 2006 to 2010

    2006. We left the Pacific and came to the Atlantic side. We first lived in Ashburn, Virginia, in a town house. We used up the teacher's retirement of the wife in order to pay for this move. Was that good for the long term? Him. Hindsight some twenty years later... That year we welcomed our third child, while I worked as a substitute teacher, junior college instructor, and temporary worker at various places. We moved into a smaller apartment. Our oldest has memories from this time, as she started kindergarten after a summer at the local pool.

    2007. Army time! It came in and we went our separate ways for a while. You with the kids, I with the battle buddies. We met once again in California at the bay. Sea lions baying, the aquarium awaiting. Kids in tow. We went to the night beach by Sand City for fireworks in July. We visited members of the church, the estero at Dennis the Menace Park, and the docks and wharfs of Cannery Row. We took some road trips, had family come and go. The move from Virginia through Indiana to California was something.

    2008. It was great. Our third, no, our fourth child was born to us in Monterey. We spent the whole year on the central California Coast, and life was decent. Many memories of the town and the surrounding areas. Our oldest did her second-grade year, culminating in...

    2009. We left California and returned to Virginia, with some other states in between. My father was a great help, driving many of our belongings in a truck. We began our lives in the northern Virginia area and the roots were placed. What happened that fall? Did we travel to Indiana for Thanksgiving or Christmas? Likely. My mom was still healthy, and had been back from her second mission.

    Memories. Separate and apart, thanks to the U.S. Army. But we made it through okay. I can recall a few more. Not all great. But good enough.

    2010. We got a second car; I was working as a sub a bit much, but we were in a recession and times were tough. I finally got an okay job. Spanish. Yeah, it can pay. Specific memories or vacations? Hmmm... things start to blend. But it was mostly together! I went to California for a couple weeks of training. I was working hard shifts, but we made it work.

    Vivan los recuerdos de anteayer.

    

 Not all June is Gloom!

    No!

    The sun is long in the day, the rains bring comfort and growth.

    Much of the world is at peace. Many people eat and drink with no problems.

    Children are being born, like by brand new great nephew! Wow!

    People love each other, people sacrifice and give to one another.

    Lovers kiss and hug and share in their private moments.

    Missionaries roam the earth and spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

    Builders are building, doctors are healing, nurses are nursing, lives are being mended.

    Some people are getting hired and not fired!

    Not all is bad.

    Happy June, and forget those harder times. The sun shineth and God liveth, and He loves us.

    All of us.

 Anniversary of __ and ___, ----fer and --ward 24 June 2025

    My love and friend

    I see in you no end.

    Time goes swiftly

    We cannot stop it

    We need not.

    How can I word these feelings?

    I have known you a lifetime

    Our children, ever-growing,

    the love for them...

    They and us knowing.

    Love.

    Surely, ups and downs

    faults and weaknesses

    I admit, I confess

    But in my commitment to you

    There is no waver, no doubt

    To love you is life giving,

    Affirming, life enhancing.

    May I return it back?

    Will you let me?

    Thank you. Thank you, my love, mi vida.

    I am grateful you have shared so much,

    of you, from you, with me.

    And us.

    We are we.

    Separate, apart, together, united.

    You, me, us, with the young ones.

    Family, God, community.

    We have given and shared.

    You have served and cared.

    I am a witness to your love.

    God on high shines up above.

    On you, towards me.

    There is nothing more

    I can ask.

    You delivered, you gave

    I received, I am amazed.

    What can I give to you?

    My heart, my love, my

    blood and sweat, till the end.

    I will not quit, I cannot relent.

    You are my trajectory, my goal,

    To have my life spent.

    I am yours.

    Do as you please.

    Be free and playful.

    Act as you need.

    Be true to yourself, the child within.

    Let me be with you, where we did begin.

    We are here.

    You and me.

    We met in January.

    We wed in June.

    We had babies. June, September, March.

    We worked, we played,

    we loved, we sang.

    Through trials and triumphs.

    We danced, we worshipped

    slept and wake

    Smiled and laughed

    Had family meals and parties.

    Where are we now?

    Together--

        stay by me

    

    Stay with me, I promise-

    All and nothing.

    Only me

        And you.

    Plus God, the angels, 

    all our kindred living and past,

    immediate family and more distant friends-

    -with us

    I pray they smile upon us as we them.

    Eternally loving, you, me, us.

    Joy.

 Storms, Trials, and Blessings

    We all know of terribles storms and catastrophes that wreak havoc on humans, animals, infrastructure, and nature. These storms of wind, rain, sometimes fire, are generally large and intense. Tghe local and national and even international news agencies usually do a good job in covering the scope and the damages of these storms. In the last week heavy rains lead to floods surging in American places near San Antonio and in western West Virginia that caused the deaths of dozens of citizens. Some storms and floods can be bigger, even more severe.

    A storm that causes heavy damage, both on the human and natural scale, and if taking even one life, is a hard and difficult thing. Some places and people never quite recover from the worst of the awful storms that ravage them. Hurricanes, tornados, heavy rains and floods, sea and snow emergencies, and as mentioned forest fires and other fire emergencies do their devastations.

    These storms are real and typically mean and awful. Some storms provide some blessing or benefit. I just read from my Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints history that Joseph Smith and a couple hundred other saints were hidden and protected by a large storm in western Missouri, from an alleged mob of three hundred pursuers who wished to likely harm them and thwart their mission, even trying to kill them.

    Storms can often be about life and death. 

    We have internal emotional, psychological, mental, health and physical, social and financial storms in our individual and family lives.

    I have had a few. This year alone. How do we withstand and weather them? Who helps us? Who can save us when we are not enough to deal with the personal storms that we face? God and faith are keys to many of us. But, we count on our close friends to give us more real-world feedback, follow up, love and care.

    Husbands, wives, siblings, parents, close colleagues, other intimate partners and confidants. 

    Storms go on when we keep secrets and when we break confidences with the combinations of our closest friends. Including with God and ourselves. We break trust with another, and we have hard times.

But the good after the storms makes it all okay, right?

Yes!

Publish...

25 Years Since 2000 - Hits and Misses. Mostly Hits

2000. We met. We talked. We hung out. We kissed at your mom's resort hot tub area at night in the steamy hot desert. Movie moment! We dated, we shared, we met each other's families. I proposed, you accepted. We got married, had a sweet honeymoon, even got bumped on the way back to facilitate another trip to Mexico by the end of the year. We went back and you were pregnant. Not the easiest vacation, as such, but it worked.

2001. We had a baby, as I was finishing my second year of teaching high school. We applied to five graduate schools, and one took me. We went there, with baby in tow. We moved our belongings about 75 miles with a small U-Haul truck. Los Angeles close to the beach was tremendous. The baby waxed strong and grew. We tried to make her bilingual. But Spanish was always a thing between us, if not easily transferred to the kids.

2002. A full year in L.A. We took a couple side trips down to Mexico. Perhaps some car trouble. Some headaches, but mostly good times and memories. Like matching shiny watches at La Bufadora. Near Ensenada.

2003. We finished school, took a trip into the mountains of the Sierra Nevadas. You lit a fire with the cigarette lighter of our Ford Taurus. A campfire in the snow. Always industrious, creative. Like the clothing lines in the hotel bathrooms of Mexico City. We left the big city and returned to San Berdu, but we attended the Spanish branch. Choices enable consequences. Callings came, babies awaited.

2004. Another year at Mom's. The youngest sister returned from Spain. Baby number two arrived! The oldest would go to some local day care, but then the whopper of a calling came. Branch President. Presidente de Rama. Habia bastante gente alla. Asi fue. Jen cared for the two small girls. We helped pay small house bills but we saved a lot toward the future with little rent.

2005. Wow, is this getting long? It is only five years in! But, the hits do keep coming.  We flew down to Chile, and six months later returned, with some adventures in between. Nothing too great or too powerful, but we had some really good experiences. Angol was a sweet place to get to know the people. Vina had some nice earrings, which may have been lost at a recent graduation... 2005 was grand... 

2005. Flights to Chile! 

 Twenty-Five Years

    Poetry or prose?

    It is hard to decide. Poetry can hit the notes, become songs and music.

    Prose can lull some folks to sleep. But it may be worth undertaking.

    What else to say, from our time together?

    Babies. Amazing. Each time, each one. How can we negate the power and purpose of creating life, and bringing them here, and raising them in our homes? At times I was gone, many times you did the hardest work. You became steeled to do things independently, as if I were not there. Which did happen.

    But in the case of our family, I was somewhere doing some work, in those extended absences, and the funds were made available to continue on. If I was less present while in the home, then I certainly recognize that you were always the rock and the standard. I do not take it for granted.

    You were always the hard worker, the one who sacrificed of time and body for them, for me, for us.

    Amazing, this life nurturer, you gave and gave, and many times were exhausted. You freed up time for me to do other things. Physical exercise is one small thing. You allowed me to wander and roam, doing non-essential things, many times, and played the role of the constant source of accountability and stewardship. Shopping, cooking, cleaning, homework, booking, planning, all the things. Driving. Oh, and of course: handling the paperwork and paying the bills! As you are doing today.

    Did I help enough? Not likely. I helped here and there, but I was not the husband and father that I should have been. I do not blame you for feeling exhausted. Tired. Fed up. For periods money would be tighter, and we had to scrimp and save. You began working, (more, because you normally did odd jobs and work while a full-time mom), and you subsidized the income of the family.

    You made it possible for the children to have their colleges and missions paid for.

    I was there, pushing along. You were the dynamo; I admire and respect you for so much!

    Always kind, always sharing, always in full bore.

    Always beautiful and courageous.

    Accepting of my messes and my neurotic tendencies. Military duties and headaches, and some heartbreaks.

    What else to say, now, my love?

    Wow. I am in your debt. I forever owe you, and perhaps I cannot pay it back? I will try. I want to be able to let you play, let you rest, allow you to explore, enjoy the fruits of our labors.

    I want to enjoy you as you are now 25 years in as this incredible friend of confidence and trust. The most amazing and wondrous person, that I was lucky once and since accepted me, took me in.

    Did I deserve it? Did I deserve you? Maybe not. Do we deserve anything?

    God blesses us, he tries us, as life is about trials. He gave you to me, and I to you.

    Will you accept me? Can you take me in again?

    Can I win or re-win your love?

    I must, I will go about doing what I can. I will work and pray to have you forever, if that is what you can learn to accommodate.

    25 years. I thought of making a list of the virtues, and some vicissitudes, year by year, calendar by calendar. But I believe I spelled it out above. The sum of it all hopefully outweighs the detractors, the debits. If not, I certainly have my work and destiny to do as I can, as I may, as I will.

    And we can be joyful and happy. And in love, as friends and mates.

    I love you! Forever! ("You better!").

    Happy June. Happy 25 years. Is another quarter century in the offing?

    I continue to dream, and hope. I will work for it. I will work to give you what you need and deserve.

    

 Sadness and Mourning

    We talked a little about these things lately.

    We can feel sad, but not too depressed. That is normal.

    We can mourn for things or people lost. Friendships changed or altered. Jobs or careers that do not turn out as planned. Pains or hurts accrued or that pierce into our souls.

    And what of jealousy and envy? Yes, those strong feelings can be too strong.

    We cannot allow them to enter too much into our hearts and minds.

    All the books and all the plays, the songs of forlorn love, the stories and anecdotes of feelings requited and non, the pathos and drama.

    We know it as we live.

    I can tell you a few tales.