Family

Returning to Portland has been great and hard. I do feel like I'm home and happy to be here....yet, there is a big part of my heart in Arizona.

My parents, sister and her family are there, and as I get older, I start to realize that having them in my life isn't something to take lightly. Sicknesses, accidents, twists of fate and luck that we have no control over can erode our sense of control and longevity in a blink. 2008 certainly drove that lesson home, over and over.

It's hard to watch my parents get older, and this past year has been a rough one. A car accident, lung disease....it all is taking its toll. My little sister handles this with so much grace and love, as always she's inspiring me (and humbling me) by her example.

Today the reading at Mass talked about Christ rubbing mud with his spit to make the blind man see. I thought how much I'd like to get some of that mud to cure my Dad's lungs. That if I had enough faith, would that make a difference? But I know there are people with enormous faith, and they remain uncured. I don't think God doles out miracles based on the depth of our faith.