Author Archives: Clara Hinton

Life Lessons: What I Learned While in Haiti!

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They say “experience” is the best teacher, and that statement held true to the cause while on the mission trip with “Team Blanc” in Haiti just a couple of weeks ago.  Sure, I could read about these things in a book, but to actually see, touch, feel, and live among the people in Haiti and get to experience these life lessons — WOW!!!  Thanks for allowing me share a few of these simple truths — my “life lessons” — with you!

Life lesson 1:  You don’t need a clothes dryer to dry clothes.  The sun does a wonderful job, and it even gives you “sun bleached, fresh smelling clothes”!  Note to self: Quit the griping and complaining when the dryer doesn’t work for a day.  God gave us the sun and it works way better than a clothes dryer! Besides that, the sun never breaks down.

Life lesson 2:  Beauty can be found everywhere — even among the most difficult times of poverty, depression, sickness, or anguish.  God has not forgotten us and gives us beauty to enjoy at all times.  We simply have to look around us.  Note to self:  Stop thinking God has forgotten me.  He hasn’t!  All I have to do is look outside to view His glorious creation and be reminded that if He cares for the birds of the air and the lilies of the field, He tenderly cares for me, too!

Life lesson 3:  Fancy cookware and a top-notch state-of-the-art kitchens are not requirements for preparing delicious, nutritious food.  Cooking over an open fire in a big iron kettle will get the job done marvelously! (I wish you could have seen how this pasta was cooked!  It was amazing!!!   Note to self:  Stop feeling sorry for yourself that your kitchen and cooking utensils are old.  Instead, use what you have and be thankful!!!

Life lesson 4:  Kids will be kids under any circumstances.  They know how to enjoy the simple things in life. (This little boy sliding down the railing at Tabitha’s orphanage reminded me of my kids sliding down the banister at home hundreds of times squealing with laughter as they had “races.”)  Note to self:  Kids don’t need hundred dollar toys and a room called a “play room” to make them happy.  They just need an opportunity to be a kid!  Every child is born with a super creative mind!  A little bit of encouragement to use their minds goes a long way!

Life lesson 5:  Not all kids own a $200 pair of hiking boots, but they still manage to climb mountains and enjoy God’s beautiful creation.  Note to self:  Quit stalling when it comes to getting outside and enjoying nature!  Tennis shoes or flip flops from Walmart will take me where I need to go in order to exercise and take in the beauty of nature that surrounds me each day.  I don’t need to wait until I save up for that expensive pair of walking shoes!  Feet work just fine!

Life lesson 6:  Fancy conference rooms, a PhD in Psychology, and the most current forms of advanced technology are not needed for heart-to-heart conversations about life, faith and God.  A simple sit-down in nature with a friend and time spent in prayer and God’s word are calming to the soul.  Note to self:  Focus on reading more of the Bible, spending time with Christian friends, and spending quiet time in nature because these are the things that will give me life-sustaining nourishment right at the moment when I need it!

Life lesson 7:  There are flowers that are survivors and can thrive, bloom, and give beauty under any condition because God made them that way.  Note to self:  Stop thinking that circumstances have to be better in order for my life to be filled with joy.  Remember that I can bloom and thrive anywhere and at any time because God made me that way!

Life lesson 8:  Laughter is a universal language and can be understood and appreciated by everyone! (This lady lives in one of the aziles we visited, and she was overcome with joy as she enjoyed the food, the sanitation pack and the hugs that we gave her! I don’t think I’ve ever seen a bigger smile!)   Note to self:  Laugh more!  Smile more!  Relax more! There are tremendous blessings of joy given to us in each and every day — no matter what our circumstances.  Remember to share a smile with someone every day!

Life lesson 9:  No matter what your financial situation in life you can keep yourself neat, clean, and find a way to share something with others.  (This man is part of Tabitha’s orphanage and used a machete to cut and prepare coconuts for us, the visitors.  Look how neatly he’s dressed!  He sure puts many of us to shame!)  Note to self:  Take care of what you have, and stop wishing for more.  Always, always find something to share with others!!!  And, share with a joyful, giving heart!  “A cup of cold water given in His name to the least of these will not be forgotten.” Matt. 10:42

Life lesson 10:  This is one beautiful world in which we live!!  This beauty was made for us to enjoy, to take care of, and to be used as a blessing!  (This was a daily scene in Haiti, and one that gave great peace and a sense of belonging to God.)  Note to self:  Never, ever become too busy to enjoy the gifts found in nature.  God created this world for us to enjoy, and when walking among nature we can really connect with God through our meditation and prayer. 

I could go on and on with the life lessons learned while in Haiti.  I took well over a thousand photos and there is a lesson and story to go with each one!  (Don’t worry!  I’m only sharing ten for now — not a thousand!) 

One of the most important life lessons of all I learned was this:  You don’t have to travel to a foreign land to learn life lessons or to enjoy close communion with God and others.  We have opportunities for this right where we are every single day of our lives.  That being said, sometimes people need reminders and encouragement and they need our help in pointing out the beauty in the not-so-beautiful parts of life.  And, that’s why seven very ordinary people prayed so fervently to make this mission trip possible — to be messengers of hope to those who sometimes feel forgotten and lost in a world of poverty and darkness. 

Let’s be a light that shines for others! And, quit worrying if you’re a bright light!  Any light is a bright light to the one living in darkness!  When we share God’s love, we’ve shared the most meaningful light of all —  an eternal light of hope! 

Love to all,
Clara

A Peek Inside a Mom’s Heart

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Above all else, there is one thing I am most happy about, most proud of, and feel most blessed about and that’s being a mom.  I can almost hear my kids saying, “Wow!  That’s a surprise.  You could have fooled me when you were yelling at us to keep quiet, go to bed, and leave me alone!” 

They’re right.  I did do that sometimes.  To them, it seems like a lot of times.  In reflecting back I wish I could have been calmer, more composed, and more put together like the modern day Pioneer Woman , but I wasn’t.  I was just  a mom — a mother of eleven doing the very best that I could trying to show my kids how much I loved them. Okay, and on occasion I was trying to keep them from falling off rooftops and doing all the other things eleven kids think of doing!

 And, when I hear my now grown kids talking and laughing and reminiscing, I think they have some pretty good childhood memories so I’m thinking life must have been pretty okay for them, too!  In fact, I know it was by the way they love getting together and sharing childhood stories! 

What happens to a mom when all of her kids are grown and leave home, she has no husband to share stories and happily talk about their forty plus years of parenting, and she’s living in the house that was once a busy, bustling place of activity every hour of the day and night?

For one thing, you sit back at night and relax.  And, you rest.  And, your heart smiles.  And, you remember.  The very, very good thing about remembering is that you can be selective and remember only what you choose, and I have chosen to remember some great and wonderful things!  Fun times!  Happy times!

Wanna know what I’m remembering today?  I can best remember by looking at pictures, so I’ll share a few with you.  To you, these might not mean anything, but to me — ahhhh, happy, smiling life!

 This little fella is a destroyer of tomato plants, and seeing him makes me remember all of the awesome, wonderful summers spent gardening with the kids.  We worked that big garden hard!  We planted, hoed, pulled weeds, and hunted down tomato borers like the one you see in this picture.  We snapped beans, shelled peas, husked corn, and canned pickles.  And, we talked and spent hours and hours together and I loved every single minute of it!  Oh, how I loved those hours together in the garden! 

Blackberries.  The delicious blackberries!  The kids would go out early in the mornings with their little pails and pick blackberries (eating half of them before they ever made it into the house), and then I would make blackberry jam — the old fashioned way sealed with paraffin wax .  The big treat,  other than eating the blackberries, was the kids got the leftover wax to carve out sailboats to float in the tub while they were getting their baths.  Yes, I love memories like this! By the way, the jam was pretty good, too! 

We moved to the country with six kids and number seven on the way (from our church parsonage in town) and one of the very first things I did was to get the kids to help me plant some phlox.  My grandmother always had flowerbeds filled with blooming purple phlox, and she passed on her love of flowers to me.  I can’t wait for our snow to melt so that I can see the first signs of my flowers peeking through the ground.  I remember when the stalks of these very flowers were taller than the kids who helped me plant them.  And now — they serve as precious reminders of bouquets of flowers they picked for me to put on the supper table.  Happy, happy memories for my heart!

Home.  Sweet, precious, wonderful home.  I’ve spent thousands of hours looking out the kitchen window washing dishes (nope, I’ve never owned a dishwasher) watching the kids play in this yard.  And, those trees….you have no idea how many babies I held and nursed under those trees while the others were riding their bikes, mowing the grass, and building camp fires.  My heart actually races every time I reach the driveway to this house.  It’s filled with wonderful, precious, happy memories that are forever etched on this mom’s heart.  Everywhere I look are happy reminders of my children.  This home brings me peace and joy every single day of my life for it holds reminders of so much shared love with friends and family!

  In the side yard is this snowball bush and each branch seems to hold a special memory for me.  I remember when this arrived in the mail the size of a teensy twig from Michigan Bulb .  I got some of the kids to dig me a hole for planting.  We grabbed a bucket of water and had faith that this little branch of a thing would make it.  And, it did!  It got mowed over at least fifteen times, but it’s a survivor!  This bush also was the backdrop for the basketball hoop when the kids played ball for hours on end.  I’d watch them from the kitchen window or while I was sitting on the porch.  They were pretty darned good, too!  Hmmm…I think we need to put up another basketball hoop.  It’s time for me to watch the grandkids play ball!

Sunset.  Beautiful country sunsets.  At the end of the day, I loved to walk out to the edge of the field, collect my thoughts, and breathe the evening air.  And, take stock of the day.  This is a place where I could sit my worries down for the night, and just be thankful for another day of health, and peace, and the blessing of being a mom.  I still make daily walks to the edge of the field.  I still take stock of the day.  I still count my many blessings

And, the biggest blessing of all is that I’ve been able to be called mom.

I love you, kids!

Love,
mom 
PS  Every day is a memory in the making!  Be sure to take time to journal it either by writing or photos.  One day these memories will serve you well!  I promise!  This has my heart stirring.and I hope this has stirred your heart, too…I can think of so many more — Poochie (our big dog), Blackie, Midnight, Batler, Spike (oh, there were lots of dogs) and Bell Bambie Christmas (our viscious cat). Maybe I’ll just have to pull more memories out of the photo albums!

And, hopefully you’ll share some of your memories with me, too! 

A Week at the Beach………Some Most Unlikely Treasures!

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Photography is a hobby of mine, and as I’ve mentioned before I haven’t yet entered the world of the “specialty cameras” yet.  I’m still using my 6-year-old point-and shoot which continues to serve me well! I use my camera to journal my life because quite truthfully I find it easier to take a picture than to quiet myself long enough to write in a daily book journal.

That being said, I remember the year 2009 as being a really difficult year for me.  Life seemed to be crumbling apart at the seams.  There were lots of money problems, and being the sole supporter of the household at that time, the burden was extra heavy on my heart.  My marriage was all but non-existent.  I was feeling the brokenness of not knowing what was in store for me with all areas of my life.  In fact, life felt so broken that I questioned whether it would ever feel good or right or even “okay” again. 

Friends of mine suggested traveling along with them to the beach.  At first I said “no thanks.”  I already felt like a fifth wheel, and the last thing on earth I felt like doing was interfering with someone else’s vacation.  They insisted, and insisted, and insisted that I go along.  And, then the magical words came out:  “We’ll give you all the time you need or want to be alone on the beach.  Just go and get away and clear your head a little bit.” 

And, so I did!

I took hundreds of pictures that week, walking many, many miles along the beach by myself, and reflected, prayed, cried, then finally came to the conclusion that there wasn’t a darned thing I could do about what was going on in my life except give it my best shot.  Keep working.  Keep trying.  Keep hoping.  Keep praying that things would work out. 

And, this is what I learned.

 I learned that rocking chairs calm me.  Why?  Because they remind me of my Grandmom Bozarth.  I swear that woman spent half of her life sitting in her rocking chair on her front porch simply enjoying the sights and sounds of nature.  When I saw these rocking chairs, I walked up onto the porch and “set a spell”, too.  Gosh!  That was nice! 

Trees.  I love the draping security found in the softly swaying branches of trees.  When I was a kid living on our farm I spent many hours under the safety of our big pine trees in our side yard.  I still feel a calmness under the trees, and so I enjoyed an afternoon alone allowing the trees to hold me close and comfort me. 

Looking high into the big, blue sky and seeing the American flag waving brought me to my knees in thankfulness.  Our nation is far from perfect, but I can tell you this — I am so thankful I was born here.  I’m so thankful for the freedom I’ve been able to enjoy, and I’m so thankful for those who gave their lives for my freedom.  Wow!  I was beginning to feel less broken! 

An old gentleman sitting on a bench motioned to me to come over.  He wanted to share the treasure he had found.  A perfect sand dollar.  And, then he not only shared the legend of the sand dollar with me, but he took his aging hands and gently placed that sand dollar in mine.  I’ve often wondered if he was able to see the cracks in my heart that needed healing? 

And, as was meant for me on this week at the beach, while walking along the shore, a man came up alongside of me, smiling his toothless smile, and opened up his dry, cracked hand to show me what had just washed ashore.  He gave me some life lessons that day — lessons about living the simple life.  Living a life of thankfulness.  Living with little, but really having so much!  Thank you, nameless man without teeth, for sharing so much of your wisdom with me while I was searching for truth!

There’s just something about park benches that seem to say, “Sit a spell.  You need rest.”  And, so I did sit.  For a spell, and a spell longer I sat and my heart finally opened up and cried.  I cried for the brokenness which had come into my life.  Unexpected pain that I never thought would be mine.  Never did I expect a marriage that would not be “forever.”  My children were hurt and pained, and some had lashed out at me in their pain.  There’s nothing that stings more than darts thrown by those you love.  As I watched the calm sea, though, I was reminded that no storm lasts forever.  There is always sunshine following the rain.  Always calm after the storm.  And, so I did something I hadn’t done in a while.  I prayed.  I prayed long and hard that God would fill my heart with more thanksgiving than pain.  I prayed that I would focus more on the future than the past.  I prayed for healing. 

Talk about smile!  I know this was a God moment when I saw these two boys walking across the pier to do some fishing!  Oh, how my heart swelled with joy when I remembered the carefree moments of watching my own sons with their fishing poles, sweaty faces, and happy grins walking across the field to go find a fishing spot.  That’s what life is all about — enjoying moments like this!  In my quest to find some healing, I realized I had been surrounded by children for more than forty years and I have been blessed with precious, beautiful memories of the simple joys of childhood!  Thank God for kids!  They teach us how to really live! 

Look at the beauty!  Gaze at the details!  Feel the freedom!  I began to release some of the pain — little-by-little my heart was feeling better.  Sure the problems were still there, but my heart was somehow feeling lighter.  Have you ever felt it, too?  If so, you know just what I mean.  I’m so glad I captured this moment.  I’ve revisited this picture hundreds of times since my week at the beach and have felt the same peace and calm over and over again.  Heck, I’m even breathing easier looking at this picture right now!  Oh, the blessings of a day at the sea!

I found my own special treasures during my walks along the beach, and I had the special joy of sharing some of my stories and my treasures with a grandson this year at Christmas.  You should have seen his eyes light up when I handed him my special sand dollar!  You should have felt my heart light up as I handed it over to him!  Gifts from the sea were meant to be shared!  And, I’m so thankful for the gifts that were shared with me!

I don’t know where you go when life piles up on you.  For me, it’s someplace in nature — preferable a walk along the beach, a walk among fields of flowers, or a walk along a cool, mountain stream.  I’m not so naive as to say this takes away all of our problems.  It doesn’t.  When I came back home, I still had a marriage that was broken.  I still had kids angry with me.  I still had bills that needed to be paid.  I still had huge obstacles to overcome in order to try to keep my house from being taken from me.  I still had to deal with all kinds of messy things. 

BUT, I had found some much-needed replenishment of the soul.  And, I was able to be reminded a thousand times over what beautiful, wonderful blessings I have that are mine that NOBODY can ever take away! 

And, from the old man at the sea, I was reminded that “Every story has an end, but in life every end is just a new beginning.”

Here’s to many new beginnings for each of us!

Love,
Clara 

Packing for the Unknown — What’s It Like?

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Well, it’s down to the nitty-gritty.  Only four more days until departure time!  The suitcase is laying out on my bedroom floor waiting to be packed.  And, as I looked at it this morning before leaving for work, my heart skipped a few beats — some beats were for happiness and joy, other beats were a bit of “I’m going to miss my kids and my daily phone call from my little granddaughter, Sophie”, and other skipped beats were a bit of true-blue, honest-to-goodness anxiety over facing the unknown.

Some of you might say, “Well, I thought you went there last year?  You’re no longer a novice to Haiti or to the routine of living a week of your life in a foreign mission field.”  True and true, but not-so-true.  This ole granny is a bit afraid, if I’m being totally honest.  I’m afraid of how the flight will be.  Will we all enter and leave the country safely?  I’m a bit fearful of the mosquitoes and stomach bugs that attacked so many on our trip last year.  I’m afraid of not knowing what each day will bring.  There’s no such thing as a set agenda when in Haiti.  Time is not important to the Haitians. Okay, I’m afraid of the mice, lizards, and rats, too. 

“So, if you’re that afraid, then why are you going?” some might ask.  The children.  I’m going because of the children.  I’m going because it will be such a joy to provide a ray of hope to someone in despair.  I’m going because my heart is happy when I can give of myself.  I’m going because I want to share God, hope, and love with all people, including those who are our neighbors in Haiti.  I’m going because it will be so good to give families in dire need of food some beans and rice to help sustain them.  I’m going because I don’t want to miss the opportunity of seeing some of my own children serving others. I don’t think a parent can experience any greater joy!  I’m going because it is my responsibility to joyfully help care for those who are in need of physical, spiritual, and emotional nourishment. 

And, I thank YOU who gave so generously to see to it that I can go! 

Please stroll through memory lane in Haiti with me.  And, pray that all of my anxious fears will subside so that I can be all that I should be, and all that I want to be while living among these beautiful children of God!

The mountains declare the handiwork of God!  You can feel His presence, and see His beautiful creation! Even in what we would call a desperate situation, the power of God lives and dwells among the people!

This will be “my home” for the next week.  I will have the awesome privilege of living with the children of the Cap-Haitian Children’s Home!  What a joy and blessing! 

And, I will get lots and lots of smiles and hugs.  There will be countless, humbling “God moments” where I will be reminded of those things that are truly important and meaningful in this earthly life. 

Sun-bleached clothes — and they smell so fresh and clean!  This reminds me so much of my days as a kid growing up on the farm! 

Bible story sharing time is always a highlight with the kids!  They are so eager to listen and learn!!!

Sunday worship is hours and hours long — in the sweltering heat, swatting at flies.  And most people, old and young, have walked miles to get to their house of worship.  They don’t have clocks, nor do their stomachs tell them it’s time for lunch as most will not have any lunch or any dinner.  Worship is far more important to them than food.  Oh, that my heart can grow to know God so deeply and intimately!

Everywhere we visited, we were offered gifts of love.  In fact, they “insisted” that we take a gift and they would not take any money in return.  These gifts were made to say, “We love you, and thank you for coming to see us.  Thank you for the prayers.  Thank you for the love you have shared.”  I brought a necklace home with me and I wear it almost every day to remind me of this lesson of love — “It is more blessed to give than receive.”  Thank you my dear Haitian friends for teaching me so much!

 I cannot wait to make home visits!  Precious is the love of the Haitians as they invite us into their “room”, and ask for only one thing:  prayers.  To hold hands and pray together — let’s just say that you must experience it in order to understand it.  God lives within us and His love flows from heart-to-heart.

The sky, the water, the mountains — such beauty!  God never leaves us with only despair.  He provides hope in the midst of our brokenness.  Always.  God is love.  God is hope.  God is present! 

To the world, I may be only one, but to a child, I may be his world.  And, this is why I go.  And, this is why I thank you from the very depths of my heart for sending me.

Please pray for our team.  Pray that God will lead us to those who need to see, hear, and feel His love.  Pray that we will remain strong and healthy so that we can serve all the days we are in Haiti.  Pray that above all else, we will not just leave physical food and some daily relief from the burdens of life, but that we will plant seeds of hope eternal!

Love,
Clara 

Guess What I Found in Italy?!?

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There are times in our lives when we know that there is impending heartbreak, and we honestly don’t know what to do.  Natural to all of us is to try to avoid as much pain as possible (heck, who likes pain?  Nobody that I know!).  For months my behavior had been “odd” — quietly strange.  Deep in my heart I knew something and I didn’t know how to face it or what to do.  My marriage was crumbling.  Wow!  Those are hard words to say!  And, I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to express those words with ease.  So many people go through this brokenness, yet so few people really talk about it.  Sure you hear the crappy stuff — “It’s all his fault.  It’s all her fault.”  Blah, blah, blah.  It’s never “all” any one person’s fault, but it happens.  Sometimes what you think is a good, stable, strong marriage begins to fray at the edges, and it frays, and frays, until it unravels and then suddenly there is a rip and before you know it, things fall apart.

And, so it was for me. Well, there’s a bit more to this story, but that can be shared later. 

During that period of quiet “thinking” a few years ago, one of my eleven kids must have known.  We never really talked about “it” — we didn’t have to.  Everything showed on my face, I’m sure.  But, he knew that my dream was to visit my homeland, Italy, so one day I got a call out of the blue, “Hey, mother.  Do you have a passport? (He knew that I didn’t.)  Then, get one because I’m buying two tickets to Italy.  We’re taking a trip.” 

Chris is a spur of the minute kind of guy, so you never know just what is meant by “we’re taking a trip”, but let’s just say that I had very little time to get my passport!  And packing can be summed up in one word: rough.  Chris doesn’t plan for anything.  His words, “You can take one piece of luggage.  Make it small.  We’re staying for a few weeks, I don’t know where in Italy, but just get packed and have your passport ready.”  That was it.

How do you even respond to that except, “Oh, my gosh!  This is crazy!  You’re taking your old mama to Italy!”  And, a couple of weeks later, we landed in Rome for the adventure of a lifetime.

I’m sure I’ll post pictures of Rome and the many awesome places we visited in another blog.  The history is rich; the art is magnificent.  The love is pure.  Italy is my home.

Above all else, what I found in Italy, though, was strength and peace. Okay, and a few headaches.  I had the train ride from hell that I won’t talk about right now, but let’s just say that I spoke every Italian curse word I could think of when Chris chose “the train” to take us to Sicily.  NEVER AGAIN!!! 

As I begin this new method of blogging — more of a sharing of my life with you — the ups, downs, and all-arounds — I’d like us to talk about the meaty stuff of life, but also balance it with some of the fun stuff, and doggone it — every day  — no matter how bad life gets there is always some fun stuff. 

This is mostly my letter of thanks to a son who cared enough to embarrass himself by being a single, young man taking a not-so-young or fun-at-the-moment mom on a trip to one of the most romantic places in the entire world .  Chris, I know there were times when you wanted to strangle me.  Thanks for not tying your shoestring around my neck.  (Another story for another time.)  Thank you for giving me time away to clear my head a bit, to cry alone at night while in my room, and to digest a little of what was happening in my life — in our lives.  A broken marriage.  Who would have ever thought?  Yet, watching the sea, walking along the streets in Italy brought me a bit of balance and peace, and for that gift I will be eternally thankful.

Now, for the fun part — I took almost 2,000 pictures while in Italy with my little Sony Cybershot point and shoot camera.  Chris took a whole lot more that look a whole lot better with his mighty, super, duper Nikon.  Both cameras did what they were supposed to do — they captured the joy! 

Just a sneak peek of our almost three weeks in Italy:

We went to Italy in March — just when the wildflowers were beginning to paint the fields in gorgeous pink, purple, red and green!  Even the thistles looked beautiful!

There’s so much healing in watching the waves roll in and out to sea….a great reminder that eventually our troubles will be cast upon the waters never to return while the blessings that we’ve given out find their way back to our hearts once again. 

Okay, a rather dorky picture, but I wanted to show everyone that my feet actually touched the soil in Italy.  Here you have it — the proof! 

An old Italian man walked along the rocks and sea finding “treasures”  — I’m not sure what it was called, but they were stones that looked like loofah.  He, too, must have seen the emptiness in my heart at the moment because he walked over and handed me his gifts from the sea, and  now each morning when I wake up, I hold one in my hand and remember — I remember how much we all need each other and how much healing comes from sharing even something as simple as a loofah.  Thank you, my Italian friend.  You gave me joy!

Can you relate?  The threatening storm clouds looming overhead, while the boundless beauty takes the forefront!  Let’s never forget to search for the beauty of each day! 

Yes, I found it.  I found some peace, and I’ll never forget.  Difficult and painful days, weeks, months, and a few years were ahead of me, but I had this memory — this time in Italy with a son who cared about his mother — and I would pull from this memory bank a million times over to pull me through the really hard stuff that came into my life.  I bet I ‘ve looked at this picture hundreds of times reminding myself I would have that joy again — and I do.  I really, really do!

  Yep, he’s the one.  He made it all possible!  Thank you, Chris, for the gift that was far more than “just a trip.”  You gave me a big part of my life back, and for that I’ll be forever grateful!

And, I proved to myself just how strong I really am.  I survived three weeks of tromping through a country with a son who doesn’t believe in plans, agendas, guided tours, or anything that has to do with schedules.  You broke me in good — I’ve been an “impromptu, spontaneous” woman ever since!

PS Chris, promised me he’ll never take me on another trip again!  Once in a lifetime — that’s all I get!  But, hey, once is all we need to get us back to living again!

PPS  I’d love it if you’d share, too, how you found some peace in your life during a hard time.  Hey, that’s how we learn and grow together.