It has been a full day… the grief of missing our son is never far no matter where we are or what the day is. Especially today, in the close of this third year, we chose to travel to South Dakota for time away, to draw close together and work through our thoughts from a different place. We also came to visit the South Dakota School of Mines for Noah, and it worked out for us to start our day today, the 9th of June, with a college tour of both their Mechanical Engineering and Metallurgical Engineering programs. Some would say it is an odd thing to do on the anniversary of your sons passing. I struggled at first with the timing, but we all eventually decided it could be a good focus for us on this day.

By the time we met with the Dean of the Department of Materials and Metallurgical Engineering, Dr. Michael West, it became clear to me the Lord had prepared a unique way for us to see the creativity and gifted nature of both of our sons in this visit. It is no secret how much Ethan loves Organic Chemistry. It was easily his favorite subject in high school and undergraduate studies/research as he became a Materials Science Engineer in college. (See below research pictures from March of 2021)

Noah also enjoys chemistry and is learning more and more as he navigates the STEM programs through high school. Dr. West encouraged us by sharing the ways in which the South Dakota School of Mines celebrates all things Organic Chemistry in view of metals on the periodic table! It took my breath away several times to see Noah working with him in a few hands-on activities… In those moments, I could visualize Ethan walking with us and cheering his brother on with excitement in each lab we entered. It certainly was a gift to encounter.

Speaking of favorites… we are reminded that our guys certainly are Studio Ghibli fans. We remember how much Ethan had wanted to see his Ghibli favorites played in their original Japanese language. Back in March, we were able to watch Ethan’s favorite Studio Ghibli movie, Princess Mononoke, in its original Japanese version. We found the story to be much richer in depth and character than what we knew it to be as dubbed in English. It was a unique experience and we wondered what Ethan would have thought about the differences in story line presented in the original Japanese version.

Today, we happened upon several special boxed sets of the movies with original Japanese versions: My Neighbor Totoro, Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, From Up on Poppy Hill, and Kiki’s Delivery Service. We snatched them up and are eager to discover each movie again. If you choose to see any of the movies playing in theaters this summer, watch for an opportunity to view them in Japanese. It might just surprise you how much you enjoy the storytelling from the original written perspective along with the beautiful artwork and rich music.

As I end the day, closing the door on year three, I am grateful to have been filled with the wonder of Organic Chemistry today. I certainly did not plan it. However, it was a perfect way to remember Ethan. We are missing him every moment, wishing to hear his voice and see his smile all too much. I do not know what year four without him will bring… the door is now open and we will tenderly walk through it with tears for each future loss we realize along the way.