Fine!

Saturday night, and it’s Valentine’s. Love is the most amazing emotion available to us, and love is the greatest gift we can offer.

When I tell you I love this boy, it doesn’t even begin to describe what is happening in my heart. And I can’t even tell you, moment by moment, which boy that is.

My sweet Hodge has been through the ringer. When he was three years old we dropped him off at my mother’s house and I think I saw him fifteen times over the next six months. His Uncle Lee and Uncle Holly (I love that she is still Uncle Holly) graciously took this baby boy into their home for five months. That is love. Unconditional love.

He has learned to help and to push. He’s taken on tasks I’m not sure any brother has ever been asked to do. He’s now towering over all of us and can carry Strother up and down stairs (should a jet bridge not be available in Cabo, for example). He’s my hero. Hodge is the unspoken legend in my life.

Yesterday, Strother told us that he was irritated by the mess in the back of his hair. It’s an effort to brush it out and keep it from knotting. He said, “I’m done. Shave it off.” Great timing, too. He could pull it out in clumps and wipe away his beard with his fingers.

Darin and I got Strother out on the back porch and wrapped him in towels to prevent hair from getting into his clothes. Darin and Strother joked about who would have the most hair dropping that day. We all agreed Abba would win. If you know Abba, well, you know she won. Darin carefully gave him a buzz cut. We laughed about trying a Mohawk. He wasn’t into it. We told him it will grow back. He wasn’t into that either—he likes the break from hair care. It was a fun and emotional experience for me and Darin. There is no better way to describe it, in my opinion.

Strother told us he’s fine. Glad to get it done. I absolutely believe that is how he attacking this. He knows it’s fine and so we do too. We made the best of it, and I’m not kidding when I say that kid has a beautiful head!

He had so many visits, on the front porch, with family and friends this week. I cleaned out Strother’s dorm with a slew of pledge brothers. He got to see his cousin Lily (Uncle Holly and Uncle Lee’s girl). Sigma Nu boys came by. My sister drove back from Mexico to be here for Strother. Friends and family took advantage of this sweet spot of stronger immunity before we go back for round two of chemo on Tuesday.

Hodge and Strother played video games together this evening. It is so helpful to know that Stro feels well enough to want to play. And Hodge is still there, carrying him—even if it’s just through a game. That is where we are today. Just fine.