Aging Gracefully

I was moving some photos over from my other server tonight and this picture stopped me in my tracks. This is my niece, Elisabeth.

It seems like just yesterday that she was only a kid–and she's still barely old enough to drive–but when you see her dance on stage, she has grace and skill well beyond her years. I'm baffled at the combination of technical precision and subtle, raw emotion with which she performs.

In addition to this, she's growing into an amazing person. Creative, funny, intelligent...I'm excited to see where she goes.

My older niece, Rebecca, is about to graduate from college. Rebecca and I are not that far removed, age-wise–I remember babysitting her most days after school when I was in junior high school–and we've grown quite close as she's become an adult. Rebecca is just as awesome as Elisabeth. She has my scientific curiosity (OK...we'll call it nerdiness) and is working in a genetics lab while finishing up pre-med.

Finally, there is my wee nephew Flynn. Unfortunately, since I now live in Texas, I haven't been able to watch Flynn grow up as closely as I did my neices. That makes me sad; however, I get to be there in pictures (thanks, internets) and let me tell you–this guy's going to be a lady-killer! I can't wait to see what he has in store for the world.

OK, that's enough gushing about the next generation of my family. It's funny how a single image can inspire so many thoughts. I guess that old familiar saying is true...