Me Days

Last post in 2012...so why not jump back in at 2021!

My sweet Rhys was a sleeping baby at the beach the last time he was pictured here. He is turning 13 in less than a month. I mean how handsome is this kid? He is a beautiful, tender human who has been such a blessing to my life. Covid19 hit our family hard this past year. Our Covid story is a long one for another time, but a small part of that story is that it gave me a different perspective. This new prespective has allowed me to say yes to life more often, to not worry about always trying to get everything just right, but instead to just get started. George has always wanted to take the kids and travel across America. I have always been too uptight to really even think about it. You know the what ifs.... What if we are in a terrible accident? What if a child wanders away from the campsite? What if we get attacked by bears? What if someone falls in the Grand Canyon? What if I'm not a good camping mom? What if I fail at this fun adventure? What if I'm too worried to even really experience this trip? I'm learning to put the worries and anxieties of the past away. On December 13, 2020, my husband called to say goodbye. We are used to saying goodbye around here. He has traveled for work since 1998. He would be gone at least 3 days a week and sometimes more. This goodbye was different. He was calling from the hospital. He was struggling to breathe from pneumonia due to Covid19. He spoke to us breathlessly through a mask. We had been desperately trying to locate an ICU bed for him. He had been in an ER triage room waiting for transfer for 3 days. His oxygen was continuing to drop and he was afraid. We were afraid and he wanted to be sure that we knew what we meant to him. He talked to each of us briefly and then my kids and I cried together. We splintered away from each other to pray, cry, and beg that our lives wouldn't be destroyed by Covid. He has since recovered from Covid and I'm learning that my what ifs are different now. What if we never get this chance again? What if I say yes to the trip of a lifetime? What if I live in the moment and stop trying to plan it perfectly? What if I leave my worries in West Virginia and explore America with my people? What if we live life and just get started? The RV is secured and we are well on our way to exploring America.