One Is Silver, But The Other Gold

This has been a week of sudden, sad news. On a national scale, Canadians lost a man who was more than a leader; he was a source of optimism and hope. Closer to home, J learned that two old friends from a time before she was one of the Rioux Famille had suffered recent losses, each too private to mention here. These passings have given her pause to appreciate what, more specifically who, she has around her.

When she was in third grade, J learned a song that she will one day teach to E. It's simple and meant to be sung in a round, ideally with voices that haven't yet reached puberty. The lyrics go like this:  

Make new friends, 
But keep the old
One is silver 
And the other gold

The meaning is transparent, but the message is one worth remembering. We open our hearts to so many people throughout our lives. We connect, and so we grow. As we get older, it becomes harder to sustain those ties. Some make better efforts than others, it's true, and some can only handle having so many cups to fill. This may be true of J, yet it is also true that she carries the memory of those friendships, those very important people who helped shape her, and loves them still. Even those who hurt her. Especially those whom she hurt.
Today, now, J is pausing to feel thankful for the family who never fail to show her their love. To the Uncles and Grandmas who send gifts in the mail and give her little boy new characters to introduce to his menagerie, new books to ease him to sleep at night. To the Cousins and Aunts around the corner who are always up for a cup of tea, even at unshaven hours of the morning. To the Parents who made her want to become one herself and who continue to teach her all the many ways there are to love. To the Friends who have never let her down, whose generosity and support she will never be able to repay and who will never expect her to.
To J, the love of her life, the only word to say is mook.

I love you all.