We left Boston in 2021 when Liesel was 10. Disaster ensued and, even though she wasn’t old enough to call it by name, some suffering found little Liesel. For those twelve months in CO, she was friendless. It took watching her become a great social being later in CT to appreciate how rugged the year of isolation must have been. Associated with her loneliness was the fact she missed New England terribly. We’d be driving late afternoon on our milk sales and I’d draw her attention to the western mountains ablaze in sun’s goodbye. She’d look where I pointed and then quickly turn away. To find enjoyment in any other place was a disloyalty to Boston, EBC, Ella, 42 Maple Street. God has his ways of deepening us.
Liesel would sometimes accompany me during my stint at door-to-door milk sales. She’d bring a little notebook up to the door and, while I was interacting with them, record her observations about the potential or actual customers. (She’d have harsh words for those dismissive of salesman!) Poor customers: must have been bewildering to open the door and be set upon by a stuttering salesman with a 3-foot amanuensis at his side. A few times when the customer was reading out his credit card numbers I would happen to look down and notice Liesel listening intently and writing in her book. Liesel…!!
I mentioned Ella, the OG. At the moment Liesel is surrounded with friends from church and homeschool co-op, and she enjoys several of them quite a bit. But though it seems to me her old friend/second cousin Ella and Liesel don’t hold much personality or pursuits in common, Ella remains easiest to talk with and is likely holder of the deep secrets, though now shared over Facetime.
Two other people are God’s gifts to Liesel. First, her mom. Through means I don’t quite understand, Tonia has hit upon how to be mom and good friend with all her kids. She and Liesel talk A LOT, often tease and taunt each other, play games over meals. (Gin rummy over how many lunchtimes, the running score kept on a napkin stored in the hutch drawer?) Every morning the womenfolk sit around the breakfast table, Bibles open in front of them, reading with enough interspersed chatting to put a strain on the word devotions. Liesel, your dad commands: ALWAYS THROUGHOUT YOUR LIFE LOOK BACK AT THESE MUNDANE SCENES WITH YOUR MOM WITH ONLY GRATITUDE, AND NOT SADNESS.
The second person in Liesel’s close orbit to highlight is Teresa. Liesel and Tess are becoming tighter as time passes. It seems that they’re fighting less as they get older, though their squabbles never bothered me. What fills me with gratitude to the Heavenly Father and hope for the future is that – it seems to me – their relationship is without jealousy. Tess knows the several ways that Liesel will likely overtake her older sister… and loves to see it. Liesel is confident in her older sister’s judgment, listens carefully to her advice, and firmly, gladly believes she’ll always be looking up to her shorter sister. Another command from Dad, Liesel: YOU KNOW NOW DEEP IN YOUR BONES AND ALL THE WAY OUT THAT YOUR SISTER UNDERSTANDS PEOPLE AND SITUATIONS IN WAYS SHE CAN’T ALWAYS ARTICULATE (she needs to get better at articulating…you can help!). AS YOU NOW TRUST HER GOOD SENSE AND PURE INTENTIONS TO YOU, CONTINUE TO ALL THE DAYS.
Lieselotte Diane Landry. The name allows for a good pun: Lieselotte be desired. But the little dig doesn’t land; in truth she’s uncommonly well-rounded. She’s a combination of all her sibling’s strengths: Has Ben’s awesome mixture of idealism and solidness; has Kai’s dare-devil-ness and zaniness and aesthetic sense; has Paul’s gift of the gab and concept absorption and hunger for the REAL; has Tess’ constant happiness. Liesel, a six-year gap between you and your brothers & sisters but the wait was oh. so. worth. IT.
Liesel, you’re a born leader. Your mom and I sometimes whisper to ourselves about your capacity for work – at the end of the day you’ve ran several miles, practiced piano for big minutes, baked a few loaves, sat long at your schoolwork, talked silly with your friends, cleaned, wrote in your mysterious books with small handwriting, thought deep thoughts (what 15 y.o. girl has “History Forgets the Moderates” taped over her desk?)…and seemingly all pulled off with ease. You’re an excellent listener and you draw people out of themselves. So adventurous that you’re an adventure waiting to happen. An animal whisperer. Surrounded by a family that enjoys you. Within a true and comforting faith. Surely the lines have fallen to you in pleasant places.
Liesel, you love people. You’re not a respecter of persons. But don’t get confused. Don’t confuse loving people with loving that people love having you around. Another Dad command: THIS YEAR AND THROUGHOUT YOUR LIFE PRACTICE SAYING THE NECESSARY AND TRUE THING THAT PEOPLE DON’T WANT TO HEAR.
One final Dad command, though this one isn’t original: LIESEL, YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL AND WITH ALL YOUR MIGHT.
Happy Birthday, Lieselotte.
Dad
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