imagination

Dear Abigail, Benjamin, & Elizabeth, 

Imagination is a gift. Imagination gives us the ability to find beauty in the broken. Imaginative people are resourceful and positive. Imaginative people are inspiring. Imaginative people are content. To have a "good imagination" is a true compliment of character and one might go as far to say that imaginative people are rarely bored. Imagination must be cultivated from an early age. The ability to play and dream and create are God given gifts. It seems that our generation is struggling to maintain active imaginations. We live in "The Information Age" which means that almost everything and anything we want to know, learn, explore, or experience are just a click away. I fear the extinction of originality if we insist on being this entertained and connected.

So, that's why we have a broken dresser in our dining room...it just needed an imagination to make it beautiful again. And thanks to imagination we can go to a thrift store and dig around for something to be redesigned into a spring wreath for the front door (note: a good imagination will save you money.) A good imagination can treat you to one heck of a competitive game of garage ping pong with your seven year old. A good imagination doesn't forget that fabric strips make great curlers. Imagination tells you that it would hurt the dog's feelings not to be included in the family photo. A good imagination makes corn bread waffles to go with the chili that feeds a houseful of teenagers on a Tuesday night. When you have a healthy imagination you figure things out on your own, such as preforming the theme songs to some of your favorite movies. A good imagination tells you to pick up the binoculars and see for yourself. Imagination encourages you to see past the weeds and work hard for the rows of delicious vegetables that come at harvest time.  Imagination keeps you young, healthy, active, fearless, and best of all... a good imagination maintains a realistic sense of humor in almost any environment. 

And just for the record kids....

imagination is the reason why you don't have phones. 

Your brains just are too precious. 

Hopefully you'll thank us later. 

with love from your incredibly fun and imaginative, 

Dad & Mom

(thank you Rachael)

(thank you goodwill)

(thank you uncle lorn)

(thank you Shirley Temple)

(thank you Charlotte)

(thank you Jiffy mix)

(thank you Lord)

(thank you Alan Silvestri)

 (thank you Oregon Garden)

 (thank you craig's list)

 (thank you Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

 (thank you nana)

(thank you England)