365 Project Day 112: Fly

Canon 5D Mark ll, 24-70 2.8L, 2.8 aperture, 1/125 shutter, 640 ISO, Alien B800 in large softbox at 1/4 power. What looks like grain is actually mist.

This is Annie’s Peter Pan moment. She is swinging off the very high rope swing we have in the back yard. It is not for the faint of heart, but it is fun to watch others do it. Annie loves adventure and does everything with her whole heart. I love that about her. When she comes home to visit, she leaves a mark on the rest of us. I think we all feel a little larger, like we might be able to do anything we put our minds to. I do, anyway. She is an inspiring person to be around.

The summer before she was to leave for college, she decided she wanted to be a runner. She began to train and little by little, mile by mile, she conquered her fears about not being “athletic” and achieved her goal. She ran cross country that year  at Ogelthorpe University and ran the Peachtree Road Race. The following Thanksgiving Day, she ran her first Half Marathon. This year, she ran it again, beating her previous time by 6 minutes.  She is planning her first full marathon now. I’d say she is a runner. Katie is now training for her first Peachtree, and is well on her way, inspired by her sister, Annie.

When she traveled to Africa last year on a ministry trip, she took many of us with her. With a daughter brave enough to cross the Atlantic to minister to hearts thirsty for love, I felt like I might be able to stretch my wings and fly too. While there, she blogged about her experiences and knit many hearts together that would otherwise not have known each other. I am so very proud of her.

This image captures her spirit, and how she lives her life. You can read some of Annie’s amazing writing on her 365 Blog she has been writing this year. She finishes it on Monday, when she turns 21.

Fly, my Annie Bird. The world needs you.  Just come home every now and again when you can. Our hearts shine brighter when you have been here.