And so she lives

Toes in wetness.

A very wet, but very happy Elsie Ruth.

The remains of chalk art on our driveway. If you can't tell, this once was Elsie's name.

Wiggle those teeth, girlie!

Today I jumped in puddles with Elsie. Today I splashed Jedi when he didn't want to get wet. Today I threw very wet balls for our very wet dog, Enya. Today I cheered Starbucks customers and made drinks just to their liking. Today I ate a cupful of whipped cream. Today I chose not to listen to the radio. Today I went running in the rain. Today I played the piano for the first time in a long time. Today I watched Disney's "Mulan" with some of my favorite people, and laughed my head off with the rest of my family.

And in the midst of it all, I thought, "So this is what it's like to live."