Dear Heidi...

 Dear Heidi,

We all know that memory is a funny thing. My memories of being young and going to the zoo have you in them. I remember having a family zoo pass that said "I belong in the zoo". I remember cross country skiing with your family at the zoo one winter, one of the only times I cross-country skied. I remember riding on the monorail with you. I remember a cute boy in a different car and the flirting through the window. I don't remember if he was flirting with you or with me, I just remember giggling. I want my memories to be whole, complete and accurate. I want the pictures in my head to be proven with pictures in an album. I want to find a journal entry proving my memories true. But I don't have any proof, just a deep feeling of nostalgia that I still belong in the zoo.

We have taken our girls to the zoo many, many times over the years, and I think we've had a zoo pass more than we haven't, but that might be inaccurate too. Tuesday was a good but sad visit to the zoo. I'm not done going to the zoo, I'm sure I won't ever be done going, but trying to go as a family is proving more and more of a challenge, so Tuesday's visit, the expiration of our current family zoo pass was fun and great but also sad. I thought of you. I thought of all the memories over the years. 

Maybe the next time you come here and visit we'll go to the zoo together and make a new memory in that place, one with pictures and maybe I'll write a blog post so I can prove the memory later. But for now on this last visit for a while I wanted a keepsake. When I saw the green sweatshirt I knew this was it. 

I'm so grateful for you and the memories that we have in so many places over so many years.