breakfast buddies

When my brother's kids were here, Ivar kept bringing his cousin Claire's school picture over to our breakfast table so we could have breakfast with her. It was funny because then we'd go and actually see Claire in the flesh, but having this sweet picture at the table gave me an idea.

Last Thursday my nephew Jack drove with his parents to college. I was thinking a lot about them and him and decided we could have Jack's graduation announcement picture join us at the breakfast table. I talked to the kids about what a big deal this day was for Jack. And they were very concerned he might miss his mom and dad at nighttime. And wondered if he'd be home for his birthday. We talked about growing up and learning and becoming an oldult (their term) and then we said a prayer for Jack.

The next morning, Ivar brought Jack to the table again and we prayed for him again.

So now this is a thing. I have found school pictures of all of my nieces and nephews and plan on having one of their pictures join us each morning so we can pray for that cousin. I'm so excited about this plan and love how intentional and connected it makes me feel to all of them. Hopefully I'll be able to drop that cousin a line letting them know, or send them a picture of their picture at our table. But no matter what, that cousin will be well loved by their littlest cousins, prayed for and thought of.