the song & the lanterns

Sleepless… but for good reason. I can't go back to sleep because I cannot stop thinking about the precious ceremony I attended last night. My youngest daughter (Kristen) felt burdened to help her community. Step by step, she has spent her days this summer with an ever evolving project. It's called Emotion in Motion. She & her friends have constructed a wall from the debris of the tornado. One side is a chalk board, the other is a work of art.

This wall will travel around the community in hopes of helping people heal from the effects of the November 17th tornado which took our home & the homes of countless others. 3 lives were taken which were recognized last night, each with a beautiful lantern sent off in his/her honor. The evening was meaningful, a song was sung, tears were shed. I even saw clouds with silver linings.

At each stop, Kristen will invite people to share their stories. She will have a different question on the chalk board at each location. She wants to acknowledge that people are still hurting. She began the ceremony last night sharing her own story. She & her sister & brother in law wrote a song to the tune of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. Her former worship leader from her youth group days lead the song. It was quite beautiful. I was touched.

This is the first gathering I've attended since the awful storm. I just wasn't up to seeing a whole crowd of hurting neighbors all at once. I don't really understand, but it was too much for me. My husband & I relocated in a neighboring community. I miss my old neighborhood. I feel guilt almost daily for leaving. I love my new home, & it is a better fit for this stage of my life. I just feel I left a hurting community.

Seeing my old neighbors last night was bittersweet. Some of them are still so sad, & I hurt for them. Hugging them was the best part for me. They were good neighbors, the best neighbors, & in a sense, they watched my children grow up. They are a significant part of the Brown family, & nothing will ever change that.

As I watched my young adult daughter do her thing, I could only be thankful for the burden she felt. I am thankful for the conviction in her heart to be interviewed on TV. She is stepping way out of her box. She stood before a microphone & shared her story. The money she received for her losses from the tornado is what is funding this project. She has a multitude of kind friends who have helped. I was overwhelmed with kindness last night. The most meaningful parts for me: the song & the lanterns, and of course... the sunset.