The Summer Solstice is the day the sun reaches it’s peak in the sky, gifting us with the longest day of sunlight of the year. That day is today. This year, we have spent this Longest Day with a new tradition: from sunrise-to-sunset, participating as a family in an event honoring the strength, passion and endurance of those facing Alzheimer’s disease.

This event has allowed us to connect with our families, to share old memories and traditions, and make new. It’s given us the opportunity to reach new heights in our personal fitness. After John Mark decided to run his longest run (14 miles), I decided that I too, would bike my longest ride (35 miles).

JM’s 14 Mile Run Course

MK’s 35 Mile Bike Course

I am filled with an overwhelming feeling of gratitude. The outpouring of support, encouragement, and monetary donations from our friends and family for our participation in this event has been exceptional. It is so incredible to share these experiences with our community. Our participation represents so acutely the legacies of our families. The love, support, laughter, encouragement, thoughtful reprimands and consequences that we receive throughout our lifetimes. These are the greatest gifts of all.

I am flooded with memories of my grandmother, ReRe, who is suffering from Alzheimer’s, and the endless love and devotion she showered upon my family and me. The memories come in waves, spontaneously, and joyously. I can’t help but smile and feel my heart swell at the lifelong gift of these recollections. Walks on the beach with ReRe as a young child. Picking me up from my freshman dorm to spend a weekend with her, and restraining my laughter as she told tall tales to all the students she encountered in my dorm: ReRe to random boy in the elevator, “Did you know, I was a swimsuit model in my younger years? I bet you aren’t surprised!”. She left me voicemails on countless Saturday mornings singing the lyrics of this song:

Some days, I listened to those voicemails over and over and over again.

ReRe in JM’s sports car. “This is nice, but I’ve always loved a convertible.”

Teaching me how to make garland with red pipe cleaners before Christmas at the table in her den, the only memory I have of her smoking a cigarette. She always put a little “rouge” on my cheeks, to give some color to my very pale Irish skin. I remember her gardening gloves and the work she did and pride she had in planting her flower beds each year. I also remember her trimming the bushes while Poppy instructed from his cabana chair, haha. Driving in her convertible with my brothers, all of us squealing in delight when she would put the top down. Singing and dancing to the “la di dadi dadi da da da da” tune she sang to my twin brothers when they first began standing, and the laughter that would ensue when they inevitably fell on their diaper-padded tushes.

Recalling these memories feels like finding the coveted hidden treasure.

This is what binds.

Updated: April 29, 2013

July 12, 2012: Established this domain with poor internet connection, at a gas station near Crescent City, CA. An ambitious idea was born to finally launch our long talked about blog for family, friends and selves, beginning by documenting our just-begun 17-day driving tour from Ashland, OR to Los Angeles, CA via Highway 1.

This goal was lofty for a few reasons:

1) Redwoods and coastlines are incredible. You are lucky if you can peel your eyes away for a few seconds to simply grab your camera. These magnificent works of nature captivate and require one to be fully present, and blogging can’t hold a flame next to what Mother Nature has to offer.

2) Lack of internet connection. In a world that says it’s always accessible and connected, the rigid coast of Northern and a bit of Southern California are completely off limits.  It was relieving and maddening to have the worst internet access for the duration of this journey.

3) Have you met us? Yes? Well, then we probably don’t have to remind you that we are The World’s Most Impulsive Procrastinators. As a team, this makes for a very interesting, fun, hectic, crazy, and creative life.

Welcome.