A TRIBUTE

A tribute: an act, statement, or gift that is intended to show gratitude, respect, or admiration.

In this season of fall turning into winter, I have a new project I’m diving into soon. I’ve always wanted to write and illustrate a children’s book. Earlier this year, I wrote the draft; now, it’s time to start seeing the story come alive!

Eight years ago, in November of 2015, I flew out to Denver for a job interview. After the interview, I got a call from my parents that my grandpa had passed away. I hopped on a plane to New York to celebrate his life with a community that had been influenced by his joy for decades. My grandpa Carl’s zest and joy for life, even in the simplest of moments, make me smile and cry as I write this. He simply loved living ‘unto the Lord,’ and his gentle and endearing presence made everyone around him feel so loved too.

I ended up landing the job in Denver, and I moved out to Colorado in January of 2016. A few weeks after settling in, my front wheel drive vehicle was struggling to live up to the Colorado winter. In a generous act, my grandma Thea offered to sell my grandpa’s Subaru Outback (for a good deal) to me that had been resting in the garage since his passing. Her generosity taught me that good things don’t come without some sacrifice, and my investment in it made me treasure the gift all the more. My dad and I flew back to New York that March and drove the Outback back to Denver where I enjoyed hundreds of adventures in it until last October when the Subaru could go no more.

I will begin illustrating scenes for the book soon! Perhaps copies of the book will be available in time, teaching children and families about the goodness of God’s generosity in the face of everyday moments… that even in the grief of loss we can be gracious, and that even in the unknowns of life’s twists and turns, we can choose to move, and go, and be. I hope that it will teach readers how even if the trajectory of our lives might change, and the people we love might come and go, there are always new people who might need us and parts of ourselves worth extending to others, come what may.

I’ll share the title and parts of the story as I begin illustrating, but here’s the dedication page for today:

In loving memory of Grandpa Carl, whose delight in life gave us all great pause to feel the warmth and beauty of it; and his wife, Grandma Thea, whose generosity taught us about a love that values people, not things. 

And to Bill, of course, who allowed me to go on many adventures and who (to me at least) was so much more than just a car.

Subaru Bill parked at Lake Dillon Reservoir in Summit County.