Family Picture

It’s my favorite family picture – hand crafted with love by Sydney.   

She drew it back in May 2011 in pre-school.  It was shortly after Jenson was discharged from the hospital post the “accidental colon nick followed by 3 hospital acquired infections” that sent us all into a deeper tailspin.

I still remember the day she came home from pre-school with this picture.  Boldly written across the top is, “I love my family”.  She melted my heart with the title.  It’s a bright, cheerful picture of our family. 

Then I looked more closely at it.  We are all happy and smiling.  Sydney, Doug, and I are on the ground.  Sydney is in a rainbow dress with her long blonde hair and blue eyes.  I am in a purple dress with my long brown hair and green eyes.  Doug is in green with his brown “flat lined” head and blue eyes.  Jenson is floating in the air.   

My heart drops.  Does Sydney know something I don’t know about the future?  I contain my fear and ask her a simple question, “Syd, why is Jenson floating in the air?”.  I wait with nervous anticipation for her reply.  “Mommy, he’s not floating in the air.  He’s jumping on a trampoline!”

Sure enough, there is a circular black object with four legs at the bottom of the picture.  As much as I wish he were just jumping on a trampoline now, this picture would serve as foreshadowing of our future state.

It’s still my favorite picture.  It’s a reminder to be happy and to never forget how much “I love my family.”