December Through the iPhone

New Year’s Eve, husband and I sat in bed, watching a movie on the MacBook, dozing on an off (mostly me), and playing on our phones. When midnight struck, we shook our fists in the air to send it off, and went back to what we were doing. 2013 wasn’t a great year, and December didn’t even try to make it up to us.

Most of December was fine, actually. I started and ended it with the family that we don’t see as often as the rest. My baby turned one (… year). Christmas and all that.

December had me stumped at first, which seemed fitting. I stared at a collection of quick, random (and too often boring) pictures that have collected on my phone, and thought, “Meh.” Back and forth, back and forth, not inspired.

And then: Pairs

Is that weird? Little bit? But there it is. Twosies, twosies.

A pair of kings, a pair of baby legs in skinny jeans, a pair of sopes. 

And all the people we know and love who make up our family, our village: a pair of nanas, pairs of toddlers, mom and the baby, Uncle Zack and the baby (and more, whose pictures were too blurry or too dark to make the cut).

Twosies, twosies

And these pictures look quick and random and too often boring because they are scenes that play out over and over again. Nanas watching babies in kitchen sinks, or reading books. Hanging out with friends (with the same puzzle as every other Thursday morning). Taking a little walk to explore. We do these things all the time – every chance we get, every week, sometimes every day.

We usually do them with the same people, which is boring when you’re watching photos race from your phone to your computer, because it’s like watching yesterday over and and over again.

But then you get to the pictures from the car accident and you realize that, of course, a lot of those same faces are there again – exactly where you’d never want them to be, but also exactly where you most need them. And the scrolling slows as December rewinds one more time, and all those too-familiar faces take on a subtle glow.

These are the people we do life with. The ones we sometimes get bored with are the ones who know us best, and choose to stick around. They’re the ones who play the same card games over and over, and read the same books. They’re the ones who come to pick you up when your car takes a flying leap into a ditch, or they’re the ones who call and offer even though they’re four hours away.

They’re boring because they’re familiar, and they’re priceless because they’re familiar.

My prayer for 2014 is that I don’t take these people for granted – the ones I share coffee with, the ones who hold my hand and hug my shoulders, the ones I’ve chosen and the ones who have been chosen for me.

Especially the one I chose to pair myself with eight years ago. I’d be lying if I said that this past year has been the easiest on our marriage. There has been a lot of stress, a lot of newness, and a lot of learning – especially on my part – but I married a compassionate man of God, and love never fails.

Twosies, twosies

Here’s to more of the same in 2014. Fewer car accidents and funerals, if I can file an official request, but life and death are often unpredictable, and in the midst of it I am blessed by the boring sameness of the beautiful people who choose to partner and pair with me – who who make me coffee, and remember me in their prayers, and listen to me babble, and take my arm, and pull me higher.

Love you all. Happy New Year to us.