Kukla Christmas Letter 2023

I don’t post much here anymore… because my Facebook profile is basically a minute-by-minute blog. :) But I do still like to share our family Christmas letter with all my friends so if you missed it elsewhere, enjoy.

Kukla Christmas Letter 2023

Is it safe yet to say it?  That we made it through another year? We are pretty close, but this year has had plenty of curve balls and there is certainly time left for one more… I did a graveside service this morning for a family I had never met.  Two siblings who live on opposite coasts coming together in what was their childhood home for their mother’s death – red-eye flights taken on a moment’s notice to spend a final day of life together right on top of the biggest holiday of the year.    Life always has another curve ball or two waiting for us – and yet those old faithful words from Wendell Barry come to mind, “do not tax their lives with forethought of grief.”  What a beautiful thought – let what is coming, come.  But no need to give it power over today – particularly if it turns out never to be.  And so, here we are… on the precipice of a new year – we made it!  We are all under the same roof for the moment and we all took different journeys to get here but get here we did!

Warren has finished his first semester of college!  Warren closed out high school enjoying every moment.  He started his senior year with much anxiety about looming decisions but once he accepted enrollment at the University of Utah he mostly laid back and enjoyed the ride through the rest of his Senior year.  Freshman year at Utah involved finding his niche (with hits and misses), learning how good he had it at home (“at home there are infinite snacks!”) and holding his own amidst the new workload of college classes (“I studied so much I was dreaming in differential equations.”).  Warren declared his major as Biology with a concentration in genetics and genomes – and jumped into the world of lab sciences.  He loves the labs way more than the theory, but none of us are surprised by that.  He played some soccer, already hit the Salt Lake City slopes… and is overall enjoying college for all he isn’t a real big fan of communal living. He is already working on summer lab jobs and potentially finding an off-campus apartment with his 3 closest friends.

Elizabeth is having the time of their life – thriving in all the ways possible.  It would be hard to imagine where E is today from a year and half ago, a reminder that when we huddle up together (you are not alone), get the right resources (therapists are awesome, y’all), and persevere (just keep swimming; just keep swimming) we never know what is awaiting us in the future.  E skipped a year of math to go right into Calculus as a sophomore, and their teacher has now given them independent work to skip year two of calculus and take Discreet Math next year.  We didn’t see that coming – but E does have a mind for details and mathy parents.  But that wasn’t the biggest surprise – E is taking 8 classes across 7 periods, and they are all supposed to be hard… AP Chem, AP Calculus, AP World., AP Capstone… etc.  But largely E is just coasting, and if you ask them about class they will mostly just give you a critique of the pedagogical theory of that particular teacher (some things don’t change)… so we got to that moment we had to ask: do you want to cut short high school and move to college sooner?  (The kind of question I don’t want to ask but felt we had to…) and, here is the surprise, E said no because they would miss all their friends.  Social life?  E?  Absolutely – like I said, thriving.  Add in that they even picked up a job this last month to start earning some money, and joined the A/V team at church to work sound for outside events and E probably won 2023 among the Boise Kuklas… except it isn’t a contest. 😉

Meredith had a rough year – 8^th grade is hard y’all – I think that is what I am learning now by my third kid going through it… so much shifting and changing under feet.  Some things don’t change: Meredith is THE reader in the family.  She may even read more than I did at her age… though its probably pretty even.  If you go in Mere’s room you would see a room designed with all manner of stacks of books and clever shelves.. each stack categorized by theme… and every time Mere gets more they reorganize the whole room.  The interesting thing?  Mere only buys books they have already read.  They read about 4 books a week from online libraries… and when they love a book then they buy it for future re-readings.  And preferably “original hardbacks”.  Mere has continued in gymnastics and after some initial wrestlings with her biology class is having a great academic year – split between the junior high and the Treasure Valley Math and Science Center (as Elizabeth did before her).  Meredith probably has the largest and most diverse social groups among us… she still connects with the HG class friends who were spread across the whole valley, her TVMSC friends, and actually – through hardship – made more friends.  After losing a frend who died by suicide Meredith did grief counseling with a that classmates friend group – who Mere was only tangentially a part of.. and through the six weeks of group counseling gained new friends who came through that journey together.  It does not take away the sting of losing a friend… and the sting of the hurt caused by a small cluster of deaths by suicide in our junior high and high school this year – but it reminds you in the times of adversity to draw close, to make connections, and realize that you aren’t doing this alone – the force is strong in this one, and Mere is walking into 2024 in good hands. 

Danielle is (I always say this, right)… Danielle.  She is largely unfazable – and manages who bring joy everywhere she goes.  That is so much true of her that I, now and then, go back to remember what Danielle (the name) means.. in Hebrew is “God is my judge” but the implication is that the person doesn’t worry about what other people think of them.  That fits! (You know I believe in the power of names.. let’s digress a moment…)

***INTERLUDE***

Warren – “game keeper, defender, loyal” Yup. Also… less primary – like a rabbit warren… our kiddo is a maze of feelings and talents and often get overwhelmed and lost in all the possibilities.  But in clarity of purpose – he is a fierce defender (on the soccer pitch or in life).

Elizabeth – “God is my oath” This one is a little trickier… except that E does always have a clarity of purpose… this was first sussed out by their fifth grade teacher who kept calling E “nit-picky” but she will point out inconsistencies with dry matter of fact pronouncement and hold you to the facts of the matter in all cases… I could see E going down a lawyer’s path some day. 

Meredith… of Welsh origin to mean something like “Great Lord”.  And oh boy… does that work… but we also call her “Mere-Bear” a lot… and she is bear.

**END INTERLUDE***

Anyway, Danielle tends to not worry about what other people think… but in a gracious way – not a “go take a long walk on a short pier” kind of way.  She wanted to play goalie only in soccer and they were making her play the field… so she left soccer behind – she who always seemed to relish it… and now she does Takewondo and volleyball.  She love the forms of Teakewondo and not the sparring.  She is also quite possibly the most ehlpful kid I have ever met.  (yes, I am biased) and she will lend a hand with whatever.. and usually before you even ask.  She is enjoying 5^th grade but she is ready to move on… like a youngest child always wanitn got be with her siblings she has decided she is ready to level up to be a youth and not a child.

I’m getting long and I refuse to go to a third page… Caroline continues at AllState… it is possible she will work there after the second coming of Jesus. And she is still super-mom… she cooks meals for the youth group as well – and she recently agreed to take on a three-year term as the Treasurer for the Presbytery of Boise.  So… she juggles all the things.  As always.

My year… well you already know enough about me.  I will say that I knew this year would be one of overworking, and I’m grateful to all the people who keep checking in on me.  But the world needs cheerleaders… and the world needs champions… and I don’t ever want to not show up for that job.  I got interview on the news yesterday… and in what was an oft-hand moment the reporter asked me, “aren’t you tired after Christmas?” I laughed… and agreed – and of course that made it onto the broadcast.  But then his voice over so captured my theme as this year draws to a close: “But never tired enough to let a beloved tradition melt away…’I want this place to known as a building that leaves its light on…hopefully they know this is a safe place to come., and that – that is why we do it.”

My friend, I hope you had a Merry Christmas and happy holiday of all the sorts you celebrate.  I hope you had the time to circle together with some family… with some friends… with some community.  And if you didn’t – know that you can be a part of ours any time… we will leave the light on for you!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.