Monday Musings

There's a Danish proverb that says this:

I'm so very thankful they didn't feel that way. 

We had some extra-special guests come to our home this weekend.  They spent hours and hours in the car.  They came from my home state of SD to visit us before going to an orchestra camp in dairyland.  I feel better for their coming.

Years and years and years ago I was a tween with tight Pippy Longstocking braids living in SD.  There was a young man a bit older than my sister that went to college with her.  We would see each other at convention and frigid-cold ice skating parties.    

Years and years ago I finished college.  I took my first white water raft trip through the Grand Canyon and he was also a part of that wonderful experience.  I then moved to the big Cities and ended up being in the same Sunday gathering with him.  We met together for six years.  We had much in common including our love for numbers and sensible things and discussing life  .I was an independent career woman.  I considered him a good friend.

At that time, I was in a not-so-good living situation with a roommate and didn't know how to resolve it.  The phone rang one day and this gal I knew mostly by name and not much else asked if I would join her to live together and share expenses.  It was an answer.  A good answer that I'm still thankful for.  We lived together for three years.  She was talkative and spiritual and cared for any and all - including me.  She encouraged me in right ways when I wasn't strong enough myself.  I considered her a perfect roommate.

When I married and moved away, I missed our near-nightly discussions about life and serious matters.  Two years later, my friend and my roommate married each other!

Years ago, we flew home from China.  We landed in Los Angeles and as soon as we cleared customs with our beautiful daughter, we walked into our hotel and she was sitting in the lobby waiting for us.  There were tears... of joy and relief and exhaustion.  She was the first one on US soil to hold our little baby:

A few years ago we saw each other again.  This time there were five children between us all close in age.  They were little cuties.

Here they were yesterday: (the cutie on the left feels like our daughter, but is a friend that was with us)

And here is the family:

I'm glad for the time we had.  I'm thankful for good influences in my life.  And I'm grateful the road wasn't too long.  I hope it isn't another eleven years before our MYP see each other again.  They quickly became fast friends.  I just wish the road wasn't so long between them and us.