June has been full of gifts! We are enjoying 8th grade graduation, family parties, trips to the shore, our anniversary, Camp PALS, and more!

8th Grade Graduation

Marilee graduated from 8th grade, which also means she finished 13 years at the only school she’s ever attended. She may never have a relationship with another institution that lasts that long. I am so grateful for the way Washington Montessori School shaped her into the thoughtful, fun, kind young woman she is. I’m even grateful for the hundreds of hours we spent in the car together, where I listened to teenage murder mysteries, we solved the Wordle and Connections, I learned new words like “riz” and “sigma,” and I also—every so often—got to hear about what she was thinking or feeling. She gave a speech (as did each of her classmates) during graduation about the way her school gave her a place of safety, love, and belonging. It also made her into someone who helps other people feel safe and loved and that they belong.

Anniversary

The day of Marilee’s graduation was also our 26th wedding anniversary. Peter and I haven’t done much to celebrate it yet, but he did send me some pretty incredible flowers.

Camp PALS

Penny is at Camp PALS, one of her favorite weeks of the year. PALS creates inclusive camp experiences for people with and without Down syndrome. She loves every minute.

A Few Days at the Shore

And I get to spend a few days at the shore with Marilee and five of her close friends. I honestly don’t miss the toddler years, or even the elementary school cuteness. But I cherish every one of these days.

We recently celebrated my parents’ 55th wedding anniversary.

They hosted a party with friends and family, and I had the job of emceeing the toasts and entertainment of the evening. The party was lovely in every way. It also was a drizzly, 64 degrees in June. And somehow it seemed especially fitting to me that we would celebrate this marriage on an evening that was not all sunshine and roses. Any of us who have been married more than a few weeks know that the words “for better, for worse” apply to our particular partnership. I look at my parents, who have weathered both the better and the worse, and a gorgeous celebration on a rainy day fits just right.

I got to toast my dear friend Patricia’s graduation from Fuller Seminary.

I surprised her by showing up in Richmond unexpectedly for 24 hours. She later said it felt like she was assaulted by happiness, and I was again overwhelmed with gratitude for decades of friendship. Patricia’s influence in my life is hard to overstate—her ideas permeate so much of my writing that I don’t even know how to credit her for it. But I do know that when I’m invited to show up to celebrate her, I will do everything I can to be there, with a heart full of thanks.

William is studying the author Marilynne Robinson for a class right now.

This means he is spending 3-4 hours a day in the archives of a library on Yale’s campus. So far, he’s discovered three unpublished novels. AND Marilee and I were driving through New Haven for a trip to the Apple store and realized he might be nearby, so we ended up with a spontaneous dinner together.

Penny just got home from Camp PALS.

Here’s how she described her week:

Pals always feels like a second home to me. The community and the people are always so supportive and welcoming. When I’m at pals, I feel as if I can take on every activity. I have a different type of confidence because people at pals create a week of inclusion. For example, we went roller skating one day. Usually, I would back out of that activity, but this time I was willing to do it because I knew I could if I tried. Even after I took a fall, I got up and kept going.

Some highlights of my week included karaoke with my partner Bella, full group movie night, and things like pals olympics and painting sunsets during our on campus days. Every year I wish pals could be longer.

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