More June Birthdays

This is my awesome younger brother, Ben, with his family (stole the picture from facebook...  Thanks Melissa!)  Ben turns forty today.  As his sister, it is my obligation to join all my other sisters in making sure the entire world knows Ben is turning forty today.  I'd be negligent if I didn't say anything.  But I'd also be negligent if I didn't say he could beat any twenty year old on the planet in pull-ups, push-ups, and any other kind of strength contest.  Like one of my sisters said on facebook, "He rocks forty."

But like the other June birthdays in my family, this is a shared one.  

Ben's 6th birthday was interrupted with the birth of another sibling, and just to put into perspective the anticipation this 6 year old was feeling:  

He had four older sisters and two younger sisters.  It was time for a boy.  He knew it.  We all knew it.  God would not give this poor, lone male sibling another sister.  That would be cruel.

We obviously hadn't learned yet that the odds were still 50/50 because when my dad brought news from the hospital it was about another adorable sister:

My parents named her Ruth.  And when Ben saw her tiny, tiny feet he fell in love and forgave God for sending yet another girl.  And at the ripe old age of 9, I took it on myself to fix the awful mistake my parents made in naming her Ruth, and changed her name to "Dolly."  From that point on, she was my dolly.  I dressed her.  I did her hair.  I took her everywhere with me.  (I'm pretty sure I was my mom's favorite child back then.)  

Ruth grew up and married Nick.

They had two adorable girls of their own...DJ (a.k.a. Joie) and Audrey.

If you know us, you know the rest of the story.  

Ruth's birthday is one of those days we remember rather than celebrate...a reminder of the blessing of a great life, but also a day filled with longing for what we've lost.

This year I've noticed Joie is into family history lately.  She loves the idea of knowing the names of ancestors and where she came from, and she loves to hear the stories behind those names.

I've thought about how we "know" our parents, and it's one thing to know them as parents, and quite another to know the stories of their lives that make them real people.

So as a gift for Joie on Ruth's birthday, I emailed family and posted on facebook for those who knew her to send me stories or memories about Ruth that I could pass on to Joie.

The result was a great compilation of stories that even I hadn't heard before.  

What a gift...and a fun way to celebrate the life of Joie's mom.  Thank you, thank you, thank you to those who participated!  (And I got the biggest hug ever from Joie, so I know it was an awesome gift.)