Day 202 The Nyssens- Love Them

July 27, 2015

Day 202

The Nyssens; Rachel, Greg and their son, Francis, are a family worth knowing and dropping all things important when they visit from Seattle. We love this family, are inspired by this family, and honored that they make their way to our door when they arrive from the West Coast. Our time with them every summer looks different and every summer the difference adds another layer of love. 

Rachel refused to come for dinner with my first invite in 1986. At age 15, she was too cool to hang out with a pregnant married couple. Her family had moved from upstate NY and with that in common I decided to have them over, only to discover there were five children. That dinner was the beginning of many beautiful relationships within the Diamantopolus family. At some point she accepted every invite and Rachel and I have lived happily ever after.

Inviting the Diamantopolus family over was better than jackpot at Las Vegas. Rachel's mother, Linda, would become a vulnerable and authentic mentor, a faithful friend, an encourager and a woman who would inspire me to live a life of faith. Her father, Paul, would become a source of help and encouragement as well. He is a very giving man! This is a faithful couple who raised brilliant children and we have been privileged to do some lifetime together.

After high school, Rachel moved to Seattle. She was the wanderer, the writer, and the hippie of the nineties. She was also the twelfth employee of Amazon.com, the twelfth! (You did read this correctly, the twelfth). Rachel was not a fortune teller and had no idea that Jeff Bezos would become so powerful. In fact, just before he gave out his first stocks to his initial employees, she left Amazon. I sigh deeply every time I think about this. Really deeply.

She met Greg. This led to marriage. This led to a love fest in a brown van. Which led to baby Francis. Who knew? To this day my son Geoff has been the recipient of Francis' friendship.

Rachel and Greg moved to Reading, PA, shortly after their marriage and van tour.  And this began our adult relationship as married couples. There were many conversations between the four of us (or three, Lynn slept), and much activity in our basement where Lynn had a dark room. Greg would go down every day developing photos, upon photos, upon photos! Greg and Lynn shared much between them and though Lynn was never a conversationalist by night ( he begins his nightly sleep in a chair) he certainly gave Greg a fair share of information.


This past May we had the privilege of being with some of the Diamantopolus family in NYC when we went to go hear Francis play his trumpet for a competition at a High School jazz festival. What a trumpeter he is, his dynamics were amazing!

Greg, a photographer among many other talents, has blessed me in the early mornings these past two summers with an endeavor I have created called Photoeventing (give credit where credit is due, I know you're going to want to do this). Last year, Chris Palladino joined us and what a blast to ferry these two men with keen eyes to places I would not have pulled over for - a soybean field. To photograph with him is more than I can ask. I am in the presence of raw talent!

This is an amazing family. The gifts they share between all three of them seem a bit unfair - they got the goods. But they are humble and always share openly and freely about where they are at. They ask for advice without shame and are willing to go into deep laughter seconds after around a dinner table. We feel honored.

My lesson in all of this is that the relationships that have history are gold. These friendships are meant to hang onto. There is much that wants to wedge in and pull apart friendships. But to let it happen is shortsightedness on steroids. Don't do it. Hang on tight.

God has blessed us with this family and we are hanging on for the ride.

Last night we spent time with this family around their parent's pool. I was flooded with past summer memories going back into the 90's. God is indeed good!