Fan Mail

When I was in Kenya, Anna called to tell me that I had received a postcard from the one and only Ross Gay.  (If you are not familiar with him, he is the author of Inciting Joy and The Book of Delights, and I am a big fan!).  I was so excited to come home and read it! It took a little deciphering to make out the handwriting, but Anna and I did pretty well with both of us working on it together.

I had found an address online for his office at Indiana University and mailed him a letter when I got back from Boston. And lo and behold—he got it and wrote me this delightful postcard back!!

Dear Emily, Thank you for your notes! And congrats on the joy marathon. You're right- I loved your outfit. What a beautiful way to run, to train-- joyfully, with joy in mind. And to do it during a marathon, with the pain and the endurance and you know- these precious fleeting bodies. Grateful to have been out there with you. I've been writing about dunking, and I've realized I really smile when I jump my hardest. There is something of the Snoopy to me when I do. And yes, Peanuts is my favorite of all cartoons, I think. But I sure love Snoopy! Okay- again, thank you! Grateful to you. 

Yes! 

Ross Gay 

Also, I'm going to steal that teaching question. So good. Thank you. 

post marathon picture holding Ross Gay's book Inciting Joy 

(I printed this picture off and sent it to him along with the letter below) 

Summer Days

 

neighborhood sunflower 

Sunday night with our people 

Sunday morning run 

walk with Jessica (our alley neighbor) 

adorable dinosaur cookie I got in honor of Anna's ultimate frisbee team mascot today from Bien Bakery

catch up with Nalline this afternoon 

dinner at Hannah's tonight to see her new house

Susan's magical garden exploding with color 

WY to CA

 Since we said goodbye to Taylor for part of the summer, he's completed the EMT course through NOLS in Wyoming (see group picture below)..... 📣

and he's driven all the way to CA to get ready to be a groomsman in Riley and Sarah's wedding. (See below for a pix Taylor sent of a hike he and Riley did today) 📣

Mountain High

 While we were having our own adventure in the mountains on Saturday, Taylor took his adventuring to another whole level at Wolf's Head Traverse in the Wind River Range in Wyoming with his friend Noah whom he met through the NOLS EMT course. Twenty-one hours of hiking and climbing gave them the ultimate mountain high!

Taylor and Noah

https://youtube.com/shorts/--bTTF6TPTo?si=US3uGlP3zEFmRWpS

Father Daughter Time

While I was gone this past week, Anna and Jason went to Mt. Daniel for an overnight backpacking trip on Monday and Tuesday. While it was a bit smokey, they still had some pretty amazing views. Yay for PNW beauty and some good father/daughter time! 

Kaleetan Peak

Today, Anna, Jason and I headed towards Snoqualmie to hike Kaleetan Peak. It was the perfect hike with some good lake views, polar plunges, scrambling, and mountain highs to enjoy, and Anna said her cup was so full at the end of the day. 💕So grateful for the time on the trails to catch up with Anna and Jason and share more about my time in Kenya before Anna heads back to Alaska on Sunday. 

beautiful fireweed along the trail 

butterflies along the way (on Anna's knee above and on my hand below) 

overlooking Gem Lake (left) and Snow Lake (right) 

peak behind us that we climbed 

Bwana Asifiwe!

 After thirty-two years of coming to this place,

well over half a lifetime for me,

it’s become a second home.

Though the desert is a stark contrast

to my beloved Pacific NW terrain,

I’m at home here.

Eating ugali and goat meat,

sweating while I drink a cup of hot tea in 90+ degree heat,

letting “Bwana Asifiwe” (Praise the Lord)

roll off my tongue.

Over the years,

we have shared not only the gospel

but our very lives with one another.

These people have become my people.

What matters to them matters to me.

This kind of exposure therapy—

of listening to stories and gaining perspective,

of being surrounded by prayer,

of having my heart stretched,

of being infused with love,

of being with people who love well,

of being comfortable being uncomfortable—

this keeps changing me for the better.

My dear friends from India,

Ratnakar and Saroja,

added to the beauty of Kenya

with their stories,

with their dancing,

with their cooking—

infusing flavor

and life and color

and perspective.

Veronica hosted us

and truly was a superwoman—

pulling things together,

following up with children,

managing tensions,

reading the room.

Our connection has become a lifeline—

to support the program,

to support one another,

to love one another,

to love each other’s families,

with our hopes and dreams and aches and pains

across the miles.

Because of time well spent,

we have more perspectives,

more voices,

more stories.

We are not as locked into our single stories

about one another or about the world.

 Giving thanks for the crowded table

with these brothers and sisters.

Giving thanks for the love that is like mycelium—

the web beneath all we see.

Giving thanks that our stories are woven together

and that we belong to one another.

Giving thanks for the way Kenya keeps expanding my heart.

Bwana Asifiwe!