I’ve been sacrificing a little of my sleep this evening to compare a bunch of family info a cousin sent me with my genealogy database. Little of the information would be terribly interesting to many of you, so I won’t get into details.

I’ll be a little more tired tomorrow, but a few fond memories of my childhood will be a little fresher in my mind. They’ll be smoothing over some of my rough edges. I’ll be thinking of my dad’s aunts and uncles, of the Kauffman family farm, of a great-grandmother I met only once (at her 90th birthday). I’ll be thinking of one uncle in particular – remembering a deep voice and a big heart that made an impression on a quiet kid who mostly just sat back and soaked it all in, those far too few times we got to visit.

I’ll be thinking of the last time we got together, and a picture I can’t find anymore – a group shot with a tall skinny teen and a tall bald guy in back, hamming it up with a goofy embrace.

When I’m slurping up my coffee, trying to find my energy in a thermos, I’m going to remember this post and that picture.

I’ll be smiling.