My husband volunteers to build houses.
Each year he travels either nationally or internationally and builds homes.
He builds decent affordable homes for people in need.
In a few months, he will be going to Peru to build there.

As an engineer, he has always had a love of building and repairing.
This is a way he can utilize those skills and help others.
He has met many fascinating people through the years, all around the world.

My husband has noticed something that is more a cultural statement than an observation.

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In three weeks the opening ceremony for the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games begins.
Athletes from around the world will gather to compete in their sport.
The best of the best are hoping to medal in their specific event.

To get to that place takes years and years of training.
There are injuries and pain along the way.
However, the athletes are determined, driven; nothing will deflect them from their goal.

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Going through old photographs, I came across it.
I remember it like yesterday.
Our oldest son following his dad with his little Fisher Price lawn mower.
The mower that you could put bubble liquid inside to make bubbles as you went along.
The mower that never had bubble liquid inside since Daddy’s mower didn’t have bubbles.

Footsteps.
Following the one that goes before.

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My daughter, who teaches second grade, has compassion for her students.
No matter how well she plans, things happen and the plans have to be written in pencil.
A child gets sick and the janitor needs to be called, someone else is a bit teary and needs extra attention; another needs to use the bathroom.
She has been there herself; she has been seven years old.

When she was right around that age, she was playing outside with her sister and brothers.
We lived in a house surrounded by woods then and running in and around trees was fun.
One day, as she ran past a tree with a low branch, a twig hit her in the eye.
She came running inside, crying, with her hand over her eye.

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There is a song that is always requested whenever there is a family wedding.
My sister-in-law will always make sure it is played.
She and I have the same name; she is the original; I received the name by marriage.
Through the years, I was called by my first name and maiden name, to end the confusion.

The song she requests is, We are Family, popular back in the 80’s.
Whenever that song is played, every Gallagher must be on the dance floor.
At our nephew’s wedding last year, everyone did a sort of stroll dance to that song.
Two by two, down the line until the song ended.

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The funeral of my friend’s father brought back all sorts of memories.
I was reluctant to go on the whirlwind trip to Europe that my father seem to need.
However, through that trip, I met a special lady.

When you go on a tour like that, you are with the same group of people.
Meeting the Garrisons was just what I needed.
Mrs. Garrison seemed to intuitively know exactly what I needed.

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I had the privilege of seeing “community” lived-out…twice in one day!
Standing in line, a mother with two children was asking where she could buy plants.
The cashier and the customer next in line, suggested quite a few places.
They included detailed directions and price expectations.

The location of one garden store stumped both women.
I had been listening to their conversation as I waited my turn.
I happened to know exactly where she needed to go and the landmarks to get her there.

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My youngest son was in sixth grade at the time.
I lovingly called him my Dennis the Menace because of his pockets.
Whenever I did the laundry, I always had to turn his pockets inside out.
I never knew what I would find there.

A pencil that looked like a dog chewed it; a broken rubber band.
A paper clip that had been unwound; the cap of a pen.
Half of an eraser; a penny or two.
The outside shell of a pen with the ink cartridge missing.

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It was a roll your windows down kind of day.
Beautiful weather…low humidity…light breeze.
The kind of day when your music sounds a bit better as you drive down the road.
But then, so does everyone else’s!

I never think much about the self-contained world we have in our cars.
We have tissues and hand wipes and umbrellas.
We have a beach chair, a blanket, and an extra sweatshirt.

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During our engagement, my husband and I set out one day to find an apartment.
We were to be married in October, but my husband needed to move in at the end of June.
He was beginning his engineering job and needed to be close to work.
I would move in after we were married, four months later.

We began our search early in the morning.
The first apartment we saw was exactly what we wanted.
But, my soon-to-be husband, the engineer, wanted to see other apartments first.
I agreed, but I knew that at the end of the day, this would be the one we would choose.

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