14. The Beckers

Ginny Becker has always had a candy drawer in her kitchen. It is easily reachable and full of everything from Good n Plentys to MnMs. My sister and I were always fascinated by this drawer, mostly because of its accessibility but also because of the beautiful rainbow of spilling reds and yellows and greens and chocolatey browns that caused our eyeballs to pop like little jacks in boxes.

That candy drawer says a lot about the Becker household. A year or so ago I was heading with MomA up north for a home sales conference and a chance to see some old friends in the area. Ginny and Erich were happy to welcome us in, and it was only when we arrived that we realized they had guests coming for dessert and plenty else to do besides host us. Nonetheless, I sat up early in the morning chatting with Ginny in her kitchen, occasionally letting my eyes pass over the nostalgic drawer I knew was full of candy, talking about the latest news and sharing with her my new joys of motherhood. It did not seem to matter that she had been up all hours ministering to her friends or that her daughter and grandkids were on their way over to see her, she still had all of the time in the world to minister to me and dote on my baby boy.

Erich and Ginny started their relationship a gifted English teacher and dedicated ballerina. Leigh came along and the individual colors of their relationship blended into a sweet and wise little girl, soft in countenance and spirited in heart. Then came an artistic and compassionate Katie, a sporty and luminous Sally, and a charming and witty Jonathan. Along came Sam and Gib, whisking the older girls off as bright eyed young wives, and then soon after Parker and Macy, two of the cutest little munchkins in Baltimore County.

I remember when I was little, sitting in the basement of their cozy white house, watching Newsies while my sister had her Childrens' Chorus of Maryland practices. I would practice singing the songs so that I could be as cool as Katie, sure that Leigh would also be proud of my ability to harmonize with Jack and Spot Collins. The Becker girls were always bright stars in my eyes, and in my sister Ginny's too. They were like the rainbows in the candy drawer, shiny and welcoming and surprisingly available to be friends even though we lived far away.

Beach trips were the best. For many years the Ficker and Becker families vacationed together at Sandbridge Beach, and we had so much fun that two other families eventually joined the annual hoopla. It was then that I really got to know Jon and Sally, and every year I saw them become more unique, but still containing the Becker glow that invited people in like a hearth fire and s'mores.

It is a simple thing to invite people into your home. It takes a half hour of vacuuming and a little extra planning with your grocery budget. What is not simple is raising a family that invites people in together, that beckons others with their collective smile and communal heartbeat. The Beckers have spent time preparing a family that is welcoming, and vacuuming has nothing to do with it. As far as the grocery budget goes, I think the candy drawer may play an elemental role. Whether the candy drawer is around or not, I can't wait to be in their midst again.