Nature Does Not Hurry

                       

"Nature does not hurry,  yet everything is accomplished."

-Lao Tzu

 

 Creak!!  Creak!!  My fingers are not used to typing anymore.  Its been so long since I've blogged that I feel like I should get out an English textbook to read how to construct sentences again!

A lot has happened in the past few months, but in some ways not much has happened if you take the long view of things.

Back in May, J and I took a nearly three week road trip up to see family in 5 states and attend his 50th high school reunion in 'Tinytown', NE. We made 8 stop 'n stays along our route.  J got to meet my son, DIL and the grandkids in MO.  We spent time with all but one of his brothers and got to see all my siblings and a new grand niece.  It was such a cool treat to be away from summer heat in May and a little of June.

When we got back home to the waiting dogs, we did an overnight down in Tucson to see a James Taylor concert on Father's Day.  Awesome! 

Our next little trip was right before the 4th when we escaped the heat again to Pinetop. If there is heaven in AZ in June, it is in Pinetop.  It rained for most of 3 days.  We loved it. Ya can't get enough of those dreary cloudy days and 60 degree temps.

Back in the summer heat drudgery here now, but looking forward to our next getaway north of Payson, AZ and this time the dogs will get to come enjoy cooler days with us.

The next Big Trip is in August when J and I will spend five days in Maui then fly over to Kaui for seven more. The second part of the trip will be in a condo that we will share with my mom.  She is looking forward to her fist visit back to Hawaii in 40+ years and her first to Kaui.  This is my and J's first extended visit there too.  Other than a stop on a cruise ship, neither of us have been there. 

So J has this yearly bike trip tradition with his brother from NE.  This year they are going to drive to central Iowa and ride some trails there for a week or so.  It will be just those two on their trip.  I will stay behind with the dogs, but I may cut loose and go somewhere myself that week before flying up to get J and swing down to see the grandkids then heading up to see my mom for a few days and attend a wedding.

Am I writing a Christmas Letter here or what?  Its not all hindsight, but darn close.

We need to get up to northern CA to visit J's kids and granddaughter in October.  Maybe a train trip this time(?)  I dread the 14 hour drive one way.  UGH. We will again be going to California in November for a stay in Avila Bay on the Central Coast.  I'm looking forward to that trip already!! I went there a year after Gary died and met up with my mom who stayed with me.  It was a good trip with a visit to Hearst Castle. I hope the weather is as nice this November as it was 3 years ago.

Our 2017 plans are coming together with trips to Utah and Mexico so far.  A cruise to New Zealand is in the works, but when to go??

So why am I writing, you ask.  Last week I put up a share on facebook that had really hit me.  It was a piece written by Liam Neeson about his wife who passed away suddenly.  It is a fairly short piece and what sticks out to me is this part:
 
We have to stop and be thankful for our spouses. Because, life is very short. Spend time with your spouses. Treat them well. Because, one day, when you look up from your phone, they won't be there anymore. What I truly learned most of all is, live and love everyday like it's your last. Because, one day, it will be. Take chances and go live life. Tell the ones you love, that you love them everyday. Don't take any moment for granted. Life is worth living.”

Neeson kept his feelings private for 5 years.  Now, in 2016 he wrote this. It is relevent to me because when I read it, I had just passed my original wedding anniversary with Gary on July 12th.  I posted the piece on my facebook page and several people who worked with or knew him wrote beneath it.  Gary is still very much part of my life as he was in those persons' lives. I have not cried in a few months about losing him, even though there is an empty feeling when I do think of him, which is every single day.  I still miss him.  I miss laughing the way he made me laugh and I miss his creativity of thought and his gift of being able to make something beautiful from merely an idea. God, he was skilled. I will forever admire the many things he could do that no one else could or will ever be able to do. He was particularly special, IMO.

So, one anniversary last week and my new anniversary is this week.  We will be going to a very expensive restaurant that I would never go to otherwise. J and I want this day to be part of our memories, yes, but also to mark a really fantastic first year together.  How lucky can one person get to have TWO talented, caring, attentive men marry me in one single lifetime?!  Its dang cool, is all I can say and its amazing that it is ME that gets to experience this.

All the tiny needling 'stuff' that goes in and out of my head is so superfluous when I think of the most important things in my life: people.  Husbands.  These men are BOTH the loves of my life.
  
I look back and wonder at how worried I was about all the stuff I've gone through mentally and physically.  And here I am now, living a really blessed life that I would never have thought possible. 

And yes Mr. Neeson, I DO tell my dear husband that I love him.  Multiple times.  Every day.
 
So this brings me to the quote above that I (of course) pulled from my teabag today, "Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished."  Ain't that the truth!  We can worry ourselves sick or go crazy trying to bend the course of nature to our idea of what's right.  But why?  It all turns out in the end-- even more amazing is it usually turns out to be what's right for us, too!