Joy

This May we did a thing. The day after Eli finished his AP Testing, we pulled him and Annika out of school for the rest of the year and headed to Spain. We wanted to experience Brooklyn's mission area before Talia began her mission on June 3rd. Mostly, I was so excited to spend time as an entire family before heading our separate ways again.

As anticipated, Jason and I took a bazillion photos. I really don't know how to pare them down into a shareable quantity. While browsing through some of them today, I came across a series and thought--This.  This is why we traveled so far and invested so many resources to make it happen.  The moments of connection. I feel such joy to be a family--silly and imperfect and crazy and complete.

We don't have to travel overseas to experience this connection. It does, however, require intentional presence and prioritization. Having come so close to losing Annika, having said good-bye to Brooklyn for 18 months, preparing to say good-bye to Talia in a few days, I no longer take these moments for granted.

Each day, I am filled with such gratitude that Annika is still with us.  Every day, I think of her donor and this beautiful gift. Every day, I mourn because somewhere a family feels a hole, even as our family feels whole.

Somewhere, I hope a family feels a glimmer of comfort knowing that their child/sibling's heart lives on. And this heart is doing beautiful things and going remarkable places. It hiked fifteen miles and swam in the Mediterranean. It fuels plenty of sass and some amazing smiles.

Sunday marks 18 months since transplant. Yesterday Annika met with cardiology and had another echocardiogram. As always, I teared up a bit and felt gratitude for the goodness in this world as I watched this remarkable pump beat steadily on. This special shared heart looks fantastic, and Annika is cleared for a summer full for camps, family reunions, and other fun.

To the many who bless the lives of all in our family, and most particularly to Annika's donor, thank you.