Dear Uncle Jeffrey
June 11, 2007 8:36 am Daily lifeI was thinking about you today. I realized that never, since you began dating Kelli on to this day, have I ever felt that you were anything less than happy to see me. I know you are not superhuman and so I can guess that on at least one of these occasions you had something big on your mind, or were struggling with a lack of patience. I bet once or twice you just didn’t have the extra strength to be thrilled to see the teenager that called you “U.J.” But you took the time to ask me about my day or life or whatever is going on.
You accepted Paul with the same genuine interest in our lives. He has never once felt like you were not glad he walked in the room.
Even now, when you are on an errand, like stopping in to pick up a music packet at church, you take the 12 extra steps to come into my office and say “hi” even though you could slip by and I would have never known.
You are not blind; you know who’s mad at who or who did what in the family dynamic. And you never seem to let it color your reactions. You are a peacemaker and a bridge builder.
I think that Alex has always felt the same way. Accepted and loved by you year in and year out.
Thanks.
June 11th, 2007 at 3:38 pm
Hear Hear!
One memory of Jeffrey’s concern for others was when i was pregs with hannah he was very new in the family circle. I was doing an art project which required a lot of standing (I was 8.998 months along) and he kept wanting me to sit down. “Don’t you need to sit for a while?” I was feeling fine, but he just wanted me to be comfortable!
Whatta guy.