stars

This summer was a little different than usual: not as many lake days or river runs or mountain hikes or camping trips. While we all started the season off strong with some really great adventures, the 3 of us quickly settled into our routines of work this summer, all of us orbiting one another. I trudged into my office every Monday-Friday and hopefully did some good... Sam managed two part-time jobs either as a barista by day or a pizza maker by night... and Hamp went back to his summer gig of playing pool boy at a high end private ranch! 

But as the summer started to wind down, I realized that our orbits rarely collided and I had to make an effort to be present in these boys' activities.

So I went to the community musical (which I would totally have done even if Sam wasn't in it!) and watched Sam on stage in the production of Big Fish. I cried at the beauty of the story, at the well-performed music, and at the spectacle! My heart burst with pride watching Sam's strength and new-found acrobatic skill as he performed aerial silks for the circus scene in the show... perhaps he will skip college all together and just run away and join the circus one day?! Whatever he does, I am so proud of his tenacity and willingness to do ALL the things!

I also went up into the mountains, to the private ranch as Hamp's guest for the staff dinner, just to catch a glimpse and a squeeze of the pool boy and see him in his summer element. It was wonderful to have several of the senior staff and guests share positive comments on having Hamp at the ranch and I loved seeing him mingle easily with the adults, knowing he had worked hard but cultivated great relationships at the same time. He's leaving for college this week, but I don't worry about him finding friends or knowing what to do - he is so confident and self-assured and I just stand back in awe of him sometimes.

Our lives may all orbit one another, but I think these 2 shine as brightly as the sun... and I'm just happy to be in their universe.