The full moon called you
You answered and came to us
Leaving the warm secure
for the adventure of life and love
We are so glad you are here
No one like you has ever been
or ever will be
Unique beautiful creation
You
I love how I can see both your parents
in your beautiful face
I cannot wait
to hold you
breathe in your fresh scent
straight from heaven
© 2015 Julie Clark
The question came at our annual church camp out. We were chosen because it was our anniversary that weekend and, well, we were up there among the couples that had been married the longest. How that happened so fast I’m not sure. I have so many memories of being the young ones, in-experienced, greenhorns, etc. I guess if you just stick at something long enough you get to be the experts whether you know anything or not!
The game went this way. Three couples chosen. Spouses split up and asked questions separately. Then, later answers are compared to see who really knows each other the best. If your married life could be characterized by an amusement park ride, which would it be: a roller coaster, a kiddy car, or the Fun House? I thought about it for a bit and it would have been easy to say a roller coaster, but really that is only part of it. All the answers were true. Those early years of marriage were pretty up and down with a few more bumps all along the way. Yes, there were also years where it felt like our life was all about our kids and we couldn’t imagine it being any other way. A few years ago I probably would have answered a roller coaster ride. I answered the Fun House instead, because I am learning how to look at things from a more positive perspective. The perpetually glass half empty gal is learning a new way of seeing the glass half full. It has taken time, but I do feel much better about life when I look for things to be grateful for, rather than focusing on what I perceive to be negative.
In reality our marriage has mostly been fun, joy and adventure. I have been to more countries in the world than I can count on two hands. I have grown to love the out-of-doors and have enjoyed the beauty of the backcountry. I’m still a little nervous about bears, but hey, I have seen them in the wild and the most harm they have done to me is eat all my food while I was sleeping. I even have heard a cougar screech past my tent in the middle of the night and have lived to tell the tale. Then, all the joy of raising our kids together really stands out. Every little, new thing they did burst our hearts with joy and pride. Then literally fun and games as they got older. Of course there were ups and downs, and sibling rivalry, but we weathered those storms and all grew together. We learned how to “live in peace with each other”. That was our youngest son’s first memory verse when he was three. Good verse for us all to live by.
Another thing about the roller-coaster rides, those were the times when iron sharpened iron, and our rough edges were worn down. So now I am grateful for them as well. The weak areas in our life showed up under stress and we were able to work on them with a lot of help from our friends, counselors and God. So those weak areas were strengthened and our love for one another grew. So I can say thank you for them now, because they have made us better, stronger, more compassionate people.
So when husband came back to the campfire to give his answers with the other husbands. He thought about what he thought I would say. At first he said: “Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride?” which was not one of the given answers. If you grew up in Southern California going to Disneyland every year or read the Wind in the Willows you know what he’s talking about. Then he answered Roller Coaster ride. He was surprised that I had said Fun House. “What’s happening to my wife?” I guess it is taking time to get used to her drinking from that glass half full now.
There is a world out there waiting
An adventure ready to unfold
When I step out my front door
It’s uncomfortable at times
I don’t know my neighbor
I don’t’ know how to ride a bus
Or start a conversation
But once I take that first step
Say that hello
Make eye contact
Smile
The journey has begun
The question moves from
Who is my neighbor? To
Am I a good neighbor?
What if we each do our small part?
What if we stepped around fear?
What would we find?
Perhaps a new friend
Or some way I can make a difference
A new purpose to keep me going
Put a new spring in my step
Awake my soul to this new day
Don’t miss the adventure of your journey
There are connections of beauty and color
Weaving and waiting to be made
Keep my eyes open
My spirit listening
I won’t ignore the nudge or the whisper
Directing my path
To see the glory in another
To listen and to learn
To give the gift I have been given
And receive the one offered to me
3/9/211
When two rivers converge into one we all know how turbulent that place of convergence is. Well, we experienced that in a small degree this morning when we tried to check-in at the United desk in Seattle. Apparently Continental Airline and United have united recently. We had a gracious employee who took us on as her special project. She had to abandon her post of herding the masses to the screens to begin their check-in. It only took about half an hour to sort us out. Our eticket itinerary told us we were changing flights in Chicago but she told us that was so yesterday and today we were going to go through Washington DC instead. That was all good, we even had an extra two hours in the airport. It would have been nice to know all this before hand, we possibly could have had gotten up at 5 instead of 3! (An extra 2 hours of sleep!) Oh well, we made up for it and found some of those airport chairs in the Alaska section that don’t have arm rests. We stretched out and took a little catnap. Semi refreshed, we got our coffees and whipped out our almond butter sandwiches for breakfast. There was another interesting bit getting on the plane. Instead of the normal 4ish boarding groups there were 8! The kept welcoming all the preferred passengers, gold elite members and beautiful people. They were all of course 1 – 4ers. We on the other hand had the number 8. That meant when it was time for us to board we had to check-in our hand carry on’s with wheels because there was no more room in the cabins above. We quick switched our leather shoes for our Teva’ s in anticipation for the hot/muggy air of Pune. Grabbed everything else out of those bags that we thought we would need or at least feel secure in having on our person, (i.e. books) and boarded our plane. All this adventure and it wasn’t even 8:00!
3/11
Three airplane rides, several catnaps, walks through the airports and some interesting conversations we arrived happily in Pune to be greeted by our eldest son and daughter-in-law!
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