Sharritt Christmas Letter, 2013

Dear friends and family,

We hope this letter finds you doing well.

With Grace married off and Ben gainfully employed, they have been voted off the Christmas letter island. In their absence, we are finding ourselves able to use a larger font in this empty nest Christmas letter. Plenty of margin space. The lovely Miss Beverly can read it without her reading glasses too.

R o o m y.

The stages of launching our children into the world from the beginning of the countdown somewhere around "fastens own seatbelt" led to learner's permit, planning their own trips to Oregon and Ghana, and went to full blast-off this year. Ben graduated from I.U. and landed his first teaching job at Fairview Elementary in Bloomington. Grace married Chris, and they are both headed for senior internships, and then graduate programs, location to be determined. We are concerned that the school they end up in may be a place that will require a passport to visit; say Ohio State, or Michigan, but we've accustomed ourselves to crossing the border into Bloomington, so we'll figure it out.

We've decided it's pretty spectacular to see your kids become autonomous. They do things like plan their own graduation parties complete with ping pong tournament, and clean the whole house while you're out. Things that may sound mythical if you are in the trenches with toddlers or adolescents.  Last night after Christmas Eve service we came home and Ben offered to make the brunch casserole, and Grace to make the caramel rolls. Stunned, we sat down at the card table and worked on the jigsaw puzzle with Chris. The sounds of your kids doing dishes, while you sip wine, can sound as big as a rocket engine.

The empty in empty nest is feeling less like a loss or grief, and more like "roomy". Spacious. Ample. Boundless.

Roger continues to act like a twelve year old, pedaling for miles and miles on his bike. 2013 saw him riding 4600 miles. That's from here to there and halfway back again. Three big rides comprised the milestones for his year of pedaling, feeling the wind in his hair, picking bugs out of his teeth, and dodging assassin deer; 

Ride Across Indiana, The Flat Fifty, and the Hilly Hundred. Thanks to those who supported him in the Habitat  for Humanity  ride across Indiana. Your generosity raised nearly $1500 for shingles. How do I know it was for roofing shingles? Well, you're the tops.Next year, he hopes to ride in the Race Across Indiana; 160 miles from Terre Haute to Richmond on state road 40 in one day. Here's to praying for a very strong tail wind. 

Each goal inspires others. Now the nieces and nephews are talking about riding across Iowa in 2014 with uncle Roger in RAGBRAI. The lovely Miss Beverly will drive the support vehicle carrying bananas, water, and the occasional discouraged niece or nephew who could not keep up with uncle Rog.

Bev is feeling the advantages of ample time to be the teacher she wanted to be when she was balancing career, family, and farm. She indulges in after school naps. Not wanting to give up cooking and baking for a crew, she invents combinations of people to invite for soup suppers, and tries pie of the month recipes out on her book club and gardening friends. She organized a dozen women to share a house near the Dunes National Lakeshore this fall for a prayer retreat. She has pulled out the totes of fabric she amassed in the early mom years, and is dabbling in quilting again. In preparation for Grace's wedding she invited family and friends to a pennant making party where old and new fabric bits brought by the participants were crafted into 1200 feet of colorful decoration for the reception hall. 

The year of wedding planning and parties distilled into wedding week with many moments of joy, including an impromptu run to Jimmies Dairy Bar with 7 people stuffed into Roger's car after buying 40 quarts of strawberries for wedding trifle. And while the big week was fraught with cursing the weatherman's predictions of 80% chance of heavy thunderstorms, we prepared for an outdoor wedding anyway. Once again, the weatherman didn't know rain from tears of joy. The clouds made room for sun, birdsong, and singing under the wedding tree, followed by feasting and dancing. 

Those were the exciting ventures. Most evenings are spent in our roomy nest, in contented silence while swiping away on our iPads. The extent of our conversation might be,

"You gonna ride your bike?"

"Yep."
One hour later:

"How was your ride?"

"Windy." (or "Hot.", or "Great!", or "I didn't unclip in time when I stopped to talk to Steve and I fell in the ditch.")

We love these boring stretches too: the days of getting up early, eating oatmeal, and doing what needs to be done. These times, spiced with grown-up conversations with these lovely new adult people who grace our lives add up to a great recipe for this new expansive half of life. (Bev especially enjoys texting fellow teacher Ben speculations about two hour delays and school closings.)

Let us know when you're passing through. It might be pie-of-the-month night and we'd love to sit down to a meal with you.

Merry Christmas,

Roger & Bev