Monday, August 4, 2008

MARKED THE JOURNEY

Dear Spike:

We spent last night in a tent in your grandparents' backyard, looking up through the tall swaying oaks at the same stars under which your mother and I fell in love, years ago. You were exhausted after two days with your cousins in Portland and though it was a bit chilly, you slept soundly, all night long.

We've had a lovely trip so far. In Portland (where we were greeted, early Friday morning, with a misty rain) you were smitten with your Aunt Molly, Uncle Matt and cousins Jay and Brett. We took walks through their neighborhood and visited one of their favorite parks, where we looked out over a tree-lined horizon just as green as your could dream.

We drove, last night, through the heart of Oregon's wine country. Memories marked the journey like road signs. Here we took a long bike ride and made love in a field of irises. Here we lived in a little apartment, above a church, and watched the ragtag July 4 parade from our balcony. Here we found a little hidden park and dreamed about our future.

Now in Corvallis, where your mother grew up and we met at Oregon State University, you've been playing with your grandmother, great grandmother, Aunt Alisa and cousins Zach and Katarina. The backyard here opens up into the McDonald Forest, where quail run between the brush and chipmunks dance from oak tree to oak tree. This is where your mother and I were married, on a perfect August night, nearly six year ago.

Tomorrow, we'll go to the lovely, rocky coast near Newport — to spend a day at the same place where your mother and I were engaged. — and then we'll return to Corvallis for a few more days before heading to central Oregon, where one of my dearest friends from college is to be married.

I do so love this place.

Though it seems likely that we'll be raising you in Utah, I do hope that you will consider yourself, at least in part, an Oregonian.

Home is, of course, is largely a geographical and genealogical concept. But it is also a spiritual one.

Love,
dad

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Matt,
Thanks for the lovely blog. What wonderful memories of Oregon you have to share with Mia.
Mom L

Leann said...

Well had I known you were in town I'd have loved to have said hello. So, since you are now in Central Oregon and I'm not....hello and goodbye :-)

Anonymous said...

I'm finally playing catch-up on all of your letters to Spike, and all that you've done while I was getting ready to get married, getting married, and honeymooning.

I love that you guys had such an amazing time in Oregon, and that you got to be there for our wedding day, but I am so angry that you came home to what you came home to.

I hope you guys are beginning to feel safe at home, and that there is some way that it can all be made right.

I love you guys. Can't wait to see you again soon.