Challenges Produce Changes

Life is full of challenges, of which we all know that they produce changes.

Challenges come in many formats – some are fun, some you just endure, some are worrisome, and others are downright scary! We faced them all the time.

Like having kids!

It was fun and scary when each entered into this life. How we worried over their aches and pains, but how much fun they were when we played together. Each of our kids can claim their position as First Kids. Jason was First, a Son, and born in Texas. Elizabeth was First, a daughter, and born in Alaska. One is a child from the 70s’ and the other from the 80s’.

To us, each is a First!

First for their gender and we only had one of each. First for their birth state. Jason is a Texan who loves Alaska. Elizabeth is an Alaskan – I’m not sure I would ever think of her as a Texan… I do not think of them as the oldest and the youngest, they are each special, unique and lovable.

I remember specifically the events surrounding the days they were born.

Jason came after a hard day of labor. We did not call anyone from family or work and went to the hospital and experienced the day together. Brenda endured a lot that day, but there was such joy when Jason breathed his first breath. Elizabeth came after just a few hours of overnight labor. Her middle name tells anyone that she was born at Dawn. Of course, dawn in Anchorage came earlier in the day that July morning rather than at 6 a.m…

Unique Challenges

Each birth brought new challenges.

Jason would often flee to his room, slamming his door shouting that he wanted to be left alone. Why? Elizabeth is crawling down the hall to play with her brother.

Elizabeth would often pout and frown. Why? When I took the camera out to take her picture you can see I was interfering with her playtime. If you encroached her space, well, let’s just say you had to stand your ground! I remember the bike path on the Kenai Peninsula. Elizabeth claimed her space and dared anyone to walk or bike close to her!

Jason began reading at 3 1/2 years old, long before Elizabeth could even grip a book. Then he would recite the facts of whales, volcanoes and anything else he was enjoying at the moment.

The kids enjoyed playing together, and just as often enjoyed being by themselves. Both graduated from the same high school. They both left Alaska to go to other states, settled into new lives with their own Challenges and Changes.

Moments In Time

Captured images (photographs) bring back the realism of the slices of those moments in time. From when they were taken, I reflect they are generally from enjoyable times. I was a photographer during High School and for years after. It seemed a camera was often in reach. In fact, a box of thousands of photographs proves my point.

Most of these pictures do not represent a framed or booked moment, rather, they are tools to bring memories alive.

Through their growing up years, Jason and Elizabeth have produced fun times I fondly recall as I flip through photographs.

Jason peeking through the mesh of the fence from the outside viewing area at the airport in Anchorage. Why? His grandparents are flying back to Texas. There’s a picture of Elizabeth riding her bike down the street with her bigger than life homemade doll. What was her name? She named after her grandmother that made it (Bunky) and she’s got it strapped to the back of her bike! There’s a picture of them standing on the frozen Potter’s Marsh with Brenda. Both kids made the local paper while playing at Valley of the Moon Park. And, we always enjoyed the Zoo. Sledding, playing in the snow, celebrating birthdays, enjoying their friends and involvement at church.

I cannot look at any of these pictures and think of them as a challenge. They produce no worries or fears about anything the photos represent. I see them as wonderful memories. Yet… These memories all produced changes.

Unique Changes

And that’s where the Changes come in to play.

Our kids are grown now and living their own unique lives. Rapidly they approach the years where our adult memories of the same years included huge re-locations.

This has made me think of the changes that we’ve had in our lives over the past 45+ years. We moved 14 times the first 5 years of marriage! I helped mom and dad move to Alaska (1977) and promptly fell in love. We vacationed there and later we decided Alaska was do-able!

We left Texas for Alaska (1980), went back to Texas (1986). After 8 years we went back to Alaska (1994) and now live in Washington (2003). I sit before my computer remembering the jobs we’ve had. The houses we’ve lived in, the cars, the pets, and the churches we’ve been apart of. During the course of these years of marriage, we’ve lost a lot of family and friends to death. We have experienced lots of changes and challenges.

Over the remaining years of our lives, my kids will continue to experience their own challenges. Which will produce their own changes. Whether we want them to or not. We will always be there for their challenges. My prayers and thoughts are with both of them.