I love Hydrangeas. And Lavender and Japanese Maples. Just my natural disposition or inclination? Or because of their beauty, aroma or stately grandeur?

Actually, these are my favorite flowers and tress because of all my seasons in Japan. Hydrangeas bloomed bright blue in the mild summers on the northern island of Hokkaido. This isle is well known for it's fields of purple fragrant lavender. And I can't help but smile when I see a Japanese maple tree, in any season and in any country; with it's petite pointed green leaves in spring and it's bursts of reddish yellow in autumn.


Where I have lived for almost half of my years has shaped who I am and what I like. When I realize this, I can understand my kids a little better. Living outside of America for most of their formative years has defined them. They love "football" (soccer).  They are more than comfortable in a room of faces with different shades and colors. They are not threatened by different ways of thinking. They know what it is to stand out. They know what it is to be the new kid, sometimes a little lost and a little lonely. They know what it is to live life with sacrifice and purpose.  In typical Japanese style, they don't want to rock the boat and are rather soft spoken. In typical Thirst Culture Kid fashion, they appreciate depth and realness and cringe at shallowness and the superficial. They are still trying to figure out who they are and how to be ok with that, wherever they are.


God has allowed our family to be molded by our many years in Asia. It's made us a little more complicated, a little more hard to figure out and a little more unique. But it has also given us big eyes and big hearts. Living overseas has given us a richness and depth that we wouldn't change for anything. It has made our life a little more beuatiful.