Jul
15

My house is beautiful… absolutely beautiful. Deb and seven of my young cousins came into town for two days and cleaned the house and yard. It was a whirlwind of activity. It was two days of working, cleaning, cooking, eating, playing, laughing. I had so much fun. If cleaning was always that much fun, my house would be spotless.

And of course I have some observations, as always. Three, in fact. 🙂

1) Other teenagers are attracted to Kels, Lins, Sean, and Justy like moths to a flame. And after being with those four for two days, I know why. When you are with them, you’re happy. They are full of a warm, positive energy that comes from the inside. If you’re feeling depressed or lonely, it all fades away — like darkness exposed to a bright light — when you’re around the happy, positive, warm energy that these four people give off without even realizing it.

Of course people are attracted to them. Of course people want to be around them. They’re like a drug — you just feel content and happy when they are near. You forget all about war and crime and hate, and just enjoy their constant laughter.

How is this, you ask? Because they are happy. The whole time they were working, they were being silly and playing and laughing. When they were watching tv, they were giggling and talking. Even when they were just eating, they were having a good time, talking and joking and sharing.

I’m glad Mikey and Jojo are with them. It’s a bright and happy place to be, and they fit right in. And I can see why Deb likes having the teenagers in her house. It really brightens the house — makes it alive.

2) I’ve admired Kels for several years now. She is unique — I mean, really unique. She stands out from the crowd because she follows her dreams and tries new things. She doesn’t mind if she doesn’t blend into the background. I’ve always tried to blend into the background, not wanting to be noticed. After watching her grow into the person she is today, I realize that I don’t want to blend into the background anymore. It’s okay to stand out… and even fun.

And I’ve always been close to Sean and Justy. In particular, Justy. We’ve been with Justin since he was a small boy, and he’s always been close to our family.

Sean and Justy are always generally in a good mood and having a good time. Well, when they were here, they were working in the yard — working for hours in the Texas summer heat in the yard. They were down to just their shorts and sandals, their bodies covered in sweat, working…

… and playing and joking and singing! If that had been me, I would have been working and complaining, and then when I finally came in, acting the matyr for having to do such hard work. Not them. They genuinely had a good time the whole time they were out there.

And I want to be like that. I want to be happy and full of energy while I work — while I live — like Sean and Justin do.

The funny thing is, several years ago I didn’t think I had anything to learn from younger people. I thought, “I’m older, I’ve been through it, I know more.” And though I do have more knowledge, that doesn’t mean I know everything. And, after watching how my young cousins live, I certainly have things to learn — nebulous things about life and how to live. They are now the ones I look up to and the ones I want to try to emulate.

3) I also noticed that Lins has a real gift with young children. I have that gift although I never meant to and I don’t know how I came to have it — I didn’t even particularly want it. I would have rather had beauty or a lovely singing voice.

It truly is a gift though — a divine gift. And Lins will discover this as she goes throughout life. Because of this gift, wonderful things are going to happen to her. Wonderful things happened to me, and now I wouldn’t even think of trading that gift for beauty or a lovely singing voice.

Matt and I are trying to think of a way to thank Deb and the teenagers. What they did for us is amazing. Our house is truly beautiful now. I wander from room to room, and I feel so happy on the inside because it’s just so pretty. I think it’s the best birthday present I have ever got ever.

And though I didn’t write much about Deb (mainly because I was so amazed by the wonderful energy of the teenagers — all the laughter and joy that travels with them), she was just as incredible. What Deb brings with her is love. Deb loves people so much. She wants them to be happy, and she does whatever she can to make them happy.

There is a quote from Danielle Steele’s novel The Ghost that goes something like “Children reflect the sunlight of their parents.” There’s a reason Kels and Lins are such wonderful people and a real joy to be around: Bruce and Deb are wonderful people and a real joy to be around.



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