When I was dating Lisa, we were with her family one summer Saturday afternoon, on the lake, enjoying the water out riding in the boat and having a splendid time. It was one of those relaxing days out in the sun that we rarely experience not having a family lake house or our own boat. We probably were a couple of years into our relationship and we felt strongly about our potential together.
Lisa had a cousin that had a little baby girl, Madison. Madison was 2 or 3 at the time. We were in the front of the boat, riding the waves on a wonderful day. Something happened there, one of those precious moments that was so perfect, I'm sure I would have orchestrated if I knew the implications of it. Not sure exactly how it came together, but Madison through crying or other measures wound up in my arms. I'm sitting on the front of the boat with the wind flowing by, holding little Madison in my arms, just enjoying the ride. Lisa looks over and later tells me, when she saw this encounter, she knew I was going to be the husband and the father of her children. Powerful.
We were so impacted by that experience and connection with Madison, that it was strong in the running for the name of our firstborn. We wound up not selecting it, but it was a close second and in the serious running til the end.
Fast forward to two Fridays ago, we're without our oldest two, just on the lake with Ari. We're usually at the lake only during my company's summer event and this was it. There we found ourselves, on the front of the boat, my holding Ari with her head resting upon my chest and Lisa beside me. Lisa looked over and we were both aware, this was a full circle moment, tying together the almost two decades that passed by since she decided I would be her man, concreted by this previous moment with Madison. Now here we were, with our own 2 year old and Ari was sitting with me, trusting me that I would protect her and take care of her.
It is not an everyday occurence and I think it's better this way. May we always recognize these precious moments that are apart of our story, who we are and where we've been. Be sure to grab ahold of these times that signify the beauty that ties our history to the present, it's incredible when we experience life coming full circle.
