meeting Fritzie

Let’s go back to summer, a hot August afternoon, with the scent of honeysuckle in the garden, the splash of the swimming pool from next door. We’d just finished home church on the back patio, admiring Fritzie from afar, when Gabriel asked (as he did several times a day), “May I hold Fritzie today?”

Has there ever been such a year to have a baby? Maybe, but it’s certainly been unique. As Dickens might say, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” Sweet baby Fritzie is our light in the dark, our eye in the storm, our oasis of peace and calm and a constant reminder God hasn’t given up on the world. But we also need to be cautious of his health, careful in our interactions and respect the pediatrician’s recommendation to keep him away from people as much as possible.

So for a good two months, we mostly admired Fritzie from afar. And Gabe, who knew he’d be leaving soon, was the most persistent in asking, “May I hold Fritzie today?”

This Sunday afternoon, Ben and Sammie said, “yes.” And maybe you’ll think I’ve included too many photos, but this,

this is JOY.