My Trip

I am home from my trip to see my sister, Amy and her family. I had a great time visiting with her and the kids.

I worked out at their place where they are building a house. I went to church with them on Wednesday night and met a bunch of their friends. Amy, the kids and I went to this place called Bunnies by the Bay and had tea, which was a lot of fun. I got to love on the kids, read stories and help with chores. I really enjoyed my time there.

Coming home, now that is a story! I was flying on a buddy pass from Amy's mother-in-law, and that should tell you everything. Amy dropped me at the airport on Saturday at 12:30 P.M. I was there until about 12:30 A.M. trying to get out. Amy came and got me and took me two hours north where they said I'd for sure get on a flight to Salt Lake City then on to Dallas Sunday morning.

I got to Salt Lake City just fine. It's the getting to Dallas part that didn't happen. I found out it was Mary Kay convention here this week. So, I spent all the live long day in the airport at Salt Lake City without the faintest chance of leaving that day.

Happily, I met a girl, LaRae, who was trying to get here for the conference. She was from Salt Lake and said, "If we don't catch this last flight, you should come home and stay the night with me." And me, in my bleary eyed and foggy headed state said, "OK." So I stayed with a stranger I met in the airport.

We went back to the airport Monday morning. I didn't get on the first two flights and it was really looking like I would be there another day. Miraculously, I got on the 1:00 PM flight to Dallas. I got in at 4:30 P.M. our time and I was never in my life so happy to see Terminal E at DFW Airport.

I am still exhausted from my trip. I am planning to sleep as much as possible this weekend.

That's the news of my big vacation. I hope I won't be seeing the inside of an airport in a long time.

Another poem

Little Girl
A two year old girl
Fussing with her purse
Where has she gone?
Is she lost to the world
Floundering in her Family Song?
Be strong, be strong
Put your feelings away
Little girls shouldn't be
She hides way away in the
Middle of her heart
Waiting and watching
Squnching herself down
She wants and she hopes
For a safe place to be
Where her heart can take a rest

I am starting to write. I got this poem today. That's two days in a row I've had a poem. I love writing poetry.

Waiting

The weight of waiting
Unbearably heavy
A suffocating blanket
A dark ocean of pain
Misplaced gift of life
Leading down to death
Cocooning—embracing
Stretching and becoming
Making a bigger space
Scraping out decay
Giving up life
Getting it back again
The lightness of being

A friend of mine sent me an excerpt from the book When the Heart Waits by Sue Monk Kidd. She had lent me the book sometime ago but I never could get into it. I guess it just wasn't the right time.

The excerpt was talking about waiting tied to spiritual overcoming; our walk being a process rather than a Hallmark Moment.

I really don't like that concept. Waiting to get all the way through the pain until I am ready to take back my life and give it to God. Giving my life and heart away to anyone or anything else leads to death and misery--where I am now. Giving my life and heart away to God leads to life and light and shining as the sun.

I know this. I know giving myself up to God is the answer. Wallowing in His love and healing is the answer. I persist like a stubborn two-year-old to hold onto my fantasy that this world will make me happy--will fix all of my woundedness.

Hang on, Summer, hang on! Wait a little longer. All will be well.