Remembering...

So, I know many people are expecting me to say something today, and I can understand that. I'd be curious too if I were in your position; wondering how I'm getting on in life. I've been thinking about this day for the last couple of weeks and wondering how I would be affected and how I would remember Amy. Then, through a series of everyday events – watching movies, reading books, hanging out with Gary and my family, interacting with my sisters-in-law online and over the phone, and a couple of Bible verses that have stood out to me in recent weeks – I came to the realization that even though this day is the anniversary of Amy's death that's not how I want to remember this day. And while I miss Amy and so often wish that she were still part of my everyday life, I didn't want to make today about remembering her life either. I do that everyday in my interactions with Gary, my family and friends anyway. Amy comes up in conversation several times a day. She was a huge part of my life and always will be. What struck me though was something that has been at the forefront of my mind since Amy was first diagnosed: the frailty of life and how quickly things can change. It is with that base thought and the continued revelation of ideas over time (and the last few weeks in particular) that I decided I want to use the anniversary of Amy's death to remember, but to remember to take the time I so often forget to take and make sure that I let all those people I care about and mean something to me know how much I care and appreciate them in my life – even if I haven't had contact with them (you) for years.

So, it is with that in mind that I say thank you for what you mean to me and/or how you've influenced my life and/or how I can count on you.

An Update...

So, I figured it was probably time for an update. If you haven't noticed, I'm not really the blogging type. :)

That said, Gary & I are doing well and are about to embark on the next stage of our journey as we pack up and head back home to Arizona in the next month or so... There's not much here in MO for Gary & I other than memories, and unfortunately, most of them aren't happy ones... (That's not to say we didn't have joyful times in the midst of our trials or that we haven't grown from this experience...)

I'm still working on finishing Amy's book. It was a larger project than I anticipated, and I was much closer to being finished months ago, but didn't really like how it was turning out, so I scrapped a large section and started over from almost the beginning. I don't want to put a timeframe on completion, but I do have my publishing and distribution all taken care of. I had some interesting marketing ideas I thought I'd try to work out with some of my contacts in the music and book industries, but I don't know how feasible they'll be without having to back out of the publishing and distribution goals I already have in place. Anyway, the goal of the book is to spread her story, and through it, evidence of God's faithfulness, sovereignty, and His glory and not to make money, so there will definitely be a free downloadable version available and it will be protected with a Creative Commons license instead of a standard copyright to encourage duplication and sharing.