Tribute #4

Saved the best for last. (Or something like that.)

The Duncan Family

So the only picture I could find of them was really old. 

For reference, here's what the girls look like now:

I have too much to say about this family for a blog post. 

One day pretty early on in the summer, David came in to the workroom where I was making crafts or something and started talking about a summer he had while he was in college that he spent really lonely out in some small town in Kansas. I then told him that I was experiencing some of the same things. That Saturday, they invited me to just hang out with their family. They didn't have any special plans or anything, they just wanted me to come hang out. 

That Saturday was a turning point in my summer.

I went over and had burgers. Then we watched TV for awhile. Then we went on a 2-hour search for The Menil (a free art museum). It was one of the best Saturdays of my summer.

It was also the day we discovered that 

I played piano and was good at math. 

It just so happened they were looking 

for a piano teacher and math tutor. 

It just so happened.

More like God knew in His infinite wisdom and placed us all there. 

So I started going over there every Tuesday 

to give all sorts of lessons and eat dinner with them.

Eventually that evolved into spending 3 or 4 nights at their house in a row on several different occasions

 and basically becoming a member of the family. 

We sang together. 

(Sing with me now, David and Emma, 

"Some enchanted evening, you might meet a strangeeeeeeerrrr.) 

We laughed together.

(Remember the Wolfe joke?)

We plotted together.

(No, I haven't got any emails yet.)

(Yes, I might buy a dress today.)

We watched together.

(And ate wayyyyy too much popcorn.)

We shared together.

(Barbara, I'll never be able to thank you 

enough for the peace and wisdom you gave me.)

We learned together.

(How's that scarf coming, AnnaBeth?)

We loved together. 

David, Barbara, AnnaBeth, and Emma,

I will literally never be able to thank you enough. You changed my entire summer. You showed me what it means to be hospitable and what it is to love a stranger. I keep trying to think, but there really aren't words for me to use to describe what your family means to me. I'll probably cry on Sunday when I have to say goodbye. But, lucky for me, you have a lot to come back to in Edmond. And I expect a call anytime you do come back. I love you all so much.