My cousin and neighbor, Josh, used Daniel’s shop to make a gorgeous walnut frame.
I was so delighted with a ‘treasure’ I bought. The auction proved a success, mixed with laughter and tears. Also, a few weeks ago, he married a young lady who will no doubt bless his life in many ways.) (To those of you who have been asking how he’s doing: life has been intense and not a simple process, yet he clung to the Lord, and He has been faithful. On Saturday afternoon, we had a little auction, consisting of items each family brought to be sold, with proceeds for my cousin Jonathan, who lost his wife 1 1/2 years ago from a gunshot. It was so much what we enjoyed doing: building a fire, then working together. Robin, a friend, and reader from Missouri, had gifted us. My favorite was the big one in the center with Daniel and I, together stirring chili soup over a fire in a huge iron kettle. It was a soft fleece with numerous pictures of our family feeding giraffes at the zoo, of Daddy showing little Joshua to his siblings the first morning after his birth, that first day with the foster children, and so on. It was more than I could grasp as Leroy handed one to me. Yes, in our church, we have some photos, though that varies from one Amish church to the next.
Daddy stood in the center with his arm around me, with his familiar grin radiating his love to all. How precious - so painfully precious! He handed a soft blanket to each of the children with our family picture on it. What was found on the inside brought fresh tears. On Friday morning Uncle Leroy and his wife knocked on our cabin door holding a large box. The weekend passed swiftly, filled with memories of bygone years, volleyball and softball games, good food, and fellowship. Most cousins pitched tents while the aunts and uncles occupied the cabins. This year the event was held in Brinkhaven, Ohio, right next to an Amish community that owned the facility with a large pavilion, a kitchen and dining area, and several cabins sprinkled throughout the premises. Each of the Raber siblings and their family, including married children, were designated a job such as planning and serving a meal. The two Raber uncles in charge of planning the bi-annual event had it all down pat weeks before. At first, I wasn’t sure about it, yet it was too good not to give it a try and join in besides, even though the children lost their daddy, I still want them to stay connected to his side of the family forever. On Monday, plans were to board a 55-passenger bus with Daniel’s family to travel another seven hours to Pennsylvania. My Dad’s family planned to be gathered for a Raber reunion from Friday night through Sunday noon.
For young children, a long-awaited event ‘never comes’.
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