Bryce Leaving His Mark

Kim and I went to The Canyons on Monday. We just wanted to feel closer to Bryce so we went where he loved to go and spent his last days on earth. It was straight up and we didn't make it to "99" but we did feel some healing and closeness as we stood on a peak, looking out over the resort. When we came home and I was sweeping the back patio, I began to make a mental list of places that Bryce left his "mark". The picnic table had cuts where he attempted to skateboard on the top of the table. There on the patio was the epoxy that dripped from his long board that he was building. In the garage was the shape of his long boards cut into the carpet as he was sawing the wood. In the kitchen were the chairs with scratches in the seats from his shoes as he stood on the chairs. The facing on the long cupboards have gaps in the wood where he hung on the doors as he would stare into the shelves looking for food. In our bedroom is the dresser with long cuts made by a nail or pen on the facade made by Bryce when he was bored joined with squiggly lines on the desk in the Den. In his room are his famous painted walls sporting Janis Joplin, Bob Marley, Sherlock Holmes blowing bubbles, Mr. Handy and Anonymous.
These marks that were once a source of frustration and contention between us at times are now a source of comfort and reminders that Bryce truly did live and was full of life and always doing something in our home. Thank heavens for little boys.

The Cheese and Jam parable

This is a parable that Bryce wrote to explain how important it is to share your testimony of the Book of Mormon with investigators. Rather than giving you his interpretation in full I will post just the parable and you can make the connections that best apply to your own life.

The Cheese and Jam parable

I was in my first area on mission in Kwa Magxaki when the concept of cheese and jam was first introduced to me. I thought that was crazy—all I needed was cheese, jam would just make things gross. The idea was introduced to me by an African, so I figured it was just an African thing, they eat a lot of crazy things, I wasn’t even going to consider trying this cheese and jam idea.

Then, not too long after this, the concept ofcheese and jam was brought to me again, I was promised that it was good. It was another African who told me about this, I thought surely this is an African thing, I’m just going to stick with my cheese.

And so I remained in the dark, not willing to even try. Then sometime in a new area, the concept of cheese and jam was brought to me once more, this time by an American. So I guess it’s not just an African thing after all. I was assured once again that it really was good and that I just needed to try it. We had all the materials needed, it would be so easy. So this time I was persuaded, I gave in and tried the cheese and jam, and they were right—it was good.