Legacy

How long will you be remembered after you're gone? Like really remembered and celebrated? I don't have any delusions about having a bank holiday in my honor, but this weekend at our family reunion in Barren River Lake State Park I was reminded of just what an impact one life can have.

For the past 45 years the Scott clan has reunioned. At the beginning it was annually to celebrate Mattie "Mamaw" Scott's birthday, and then as families grew in size and distance, and schedules got tighter, it evolved to an every-three-year gathering. When Mamaw passed on 18 years ago, no one really expected the tradition to continue. But as the number of Mamaw and Papaw's seven living children dwindled to three, the enthusiasm to come together from around the world has not cooled.

Even Ruby was stoked about going to meet her Scott relations.

Three years ago, Jon's first introduction to the Scott crew--a year before he still bravely entered the family--86 of us crammed into this photo.

This year, although the family has grown, our numbers were down to the mid-seventies:

It all got me thinking about a few things, such as:

Is it okay for an adopted child to have a crush on someone at a family reunion, especially if it's a third cousin in-law?  Seriously, there's no common blood whatsoever, she could do worse.

Genetics are so complex! The resemblance in a nuclear family can be uncanny, while one degree of separation and there might be no recognizable similarities in appearance or personality. At the lake where we had all our cabins, we just waved at everyone assuming we were related to them, cause we could barely distinguish who was with us, and we definitely couldn't remember all their names.  I propose in three years, we have a competition to see who can recite, or draw, the family tree the most accurately. Maybe that will encourage us to do our homework a little better before we make fools of ourselves pretending we remember who goes with who.

And finally, just how many lives can one person affect? For better or worse, we are constantly altering the course of not only our own existences, but those around us with our words and actions. What can I be doing now to ensure that my offspring enjoy spending time together enough that dozens of them will continue to travel to see each other for decades after I'm gone? (Aside from the obvious answer of having some offspring in the first place.)

In my opinion, this is Mamaw's greatest accomplishment. She may not have a holiday named after her, but she raised children who value family. She taught them to love each other well enough not to let petty things separate them. To forgive, to laugh, and to seek to do life together. It is a huge credit to her that Jon still proposed after spending a weekend with 85 of my relatives. Let's see if the three girlfriends who joined us this year will stick around too...

The family tradition of singing "Good Old Mountain Dew"

If you're part of this motley Scott crew, or you just want to see what traditions like singing together for decades looks like, check out our latest family reunion video, but at 18 minutes it's not for the faint of heart. If you are a Scott, you might want to have some Kleenex nearby.

Feast or Famine

When it rains it pours. For five months, Jon's been making the most of his job search drought by working on overdue projects around the house. You may remember some of his odd jobs from a recent post, This Guy.

Here are just a few others he's tackled since then:

 

He built a room in the garage to paint the mismatched parts of our old 4Runner that he'd found at the junkyard.

Then he ingeniously Macgyvered a few other pieces to make it good as new.

He took care of our overgrown landscaping and yard waste.

He stained the playhouse, swing set, deck,fence, and side stairs!

He painted behind the bookshelves in the den. (Our fireplace is not usually this cluttered, that's all stuff from the bookshelves.)

And he took on countless handyman jobs for friends and family such as; replacing my parents' bathroom floor and vanity, cutting down trees, working on cars, installing sinks, painting houses, etc. etc. etc.

I say all this, not only to brag on my man, but to remind us all to let God turn every situation into good. Jon could have sat around eating ice cream and feeling sorry for himself, I sure would have. He could have spent hours a day watching TV or surfing the internet. But he redeemed this free time by using it well. I doubt he said "no" to anyone who asked him for a hand, and he rarely took any payment without putting up a fight. He wanted nothing more than to be generous with his time and skills while he had the chance.

As in Joseph's time, God can use the famines to bring about His purposes and His glory as much as the feasts. God is working behind the scenes to write a story which we can't even fathom. One we'll want to read again from the beginning once we know the outcome and begin to see why the characters developed as they did and why the plot unfolded just so.
 

Alas, this chapter of our story is coming to a close. Jon's Honey-do list is getting shorter, his few unfinished tasks have a deadline now, because he finally got to cross off "Find a Job" from the list! He went four months without an interview and in the past month, he's had three interviews and subsequently three offers. (Maybe his true calling  is to start a business training people for interviews!) After much prayer and consideration, he accepted the opportunity with the best long-term potential to satisfy him and help him provide for our family.

I'm not sure why God decided Jon should be available for a whole semester while Angie was in school and we were basically tethered to Louisville, and now start a position as soon as she's free for the summer and we have four vacations planned. But I'm sure He'll turn this around for good as well and I'll trust His timing even if it means missing a couple trips to Florida and Maine. I can't wait to see the story God's writing for our lives. Thank you for praying with us through this chapter!

I leave you with the beauty of this natural faux hawk.

One of the perks of unemployment--if your bedhead is this awesome you get to keep it all day!