I don't actually know how Chris and David initially connected... but I do know he and his wife Leigh were the first two we had to dinner. I made sausage lentil soup and we had bread and salad. It was just the four of us. The friendship blossomed into the hippie commune years. You know the years we lived in a rental: our family of 3 and then 4, chris and leigh: a young married couple, and 2 single guys.
Memories of those years include no dishwasher and yet regularly feeding 12 people a night.
Hanging out on the front porch for hours.
Eating with our neighbors for our neighborhood potluck once a week.
Thanksgiving with chitlins.
Hearts full of joy and excitement; hearts full of pain and anger.
Time with kids on the block dancing and singing.
Loud chatter, quiet mornings.
lots of laughs.
and though an experience we look back as craziness, it changed all of us in many ways- fashioning us to be more thoughtful, humble, assertive, creative, clean, and overall understanding of one another's differences.
It was during the hippie commune that we were introduced to Chris' parents Dale and Melodie. They frequently brought us all food to Detroit. We celebrated many occasions together. And we also enjoyed going up to their place in Grand Rapids to enjoy the beauty and wonder of tall tress and beautiful rivers- while simultaneously enjoying being part of a family though ours was thousands of miles away.
And then it was time to say good bye. Chris and Leigh moved to Grand Rapids and had a precious baby boy, Caleb. And then a couple years later Allie joined the family. And now a sweet little one is expected to join in July.
When they moved to Grand Rapids four years ago it was a sad good bye, and yet hopeful as we were all beginning new paths of residency and family and life... They have done far better at visiting us here in Detroit than we have been at visiting them... but the friendship remains.
It remains as memories of the early years with a child with Down syndrome- from baby jail, to first tastes of lime, to being part of his milestone moments. And they were there when Clayton came home from the hospital. First in line to hold him. They babysat the boys countless nights- waiting patiently for an hour for Clayton to muscle down his despised strawberries- to know now that as a sweet 5 year old boy he loves and devours strawberries with ease- their patience resulting in his pleasure.
Friendships change. But the memories last. No matter the number of days we spend with them in the future it's the memories that have imprinted our hearts- leaving us changed by their generosity, their thoughtfulness, their kindness and their love.
visiting us when we had Bentley
Scott and Kristen's wedding- all the housemates!
kids night at the hippie commune
chris and clayton: birthday buddies!
chris and leigh, dale and melodie
Then there was the time we all went up north for a week! Bentley was 6 weeks old.
1 comment:
Scott, "don't forget the time Dave and Chris had to bravely fight off a rabid bat in the house, armed only with tennis rackets!"
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