Saturday, August 28, 2004

Home Again and September's Coming

So glad to be home from our 10-day motorhome camping trip! We had a wonderful time, staying mostly near the beach in the Monterey area, San Simeon, and Pismo Beach. We hiked and played on the beach, saw wildlife (including deer up close, bunnies and quail in our campsite, and dolphins, elephant seals, and sea otters in the ocean). We stayed in a fairly undeveloped state park campground, resort type RV campgrounds, and near family.

It was a wonderful time - I spent entire days not thinking about anything but what our family was doing together - no thoughts of jobs to hunt for or jobs lost, a house to maintain, or any responsibility other than not getting bitten by ticks or mosquitoes and what to BBQ for dinner at night. When I realized this - that I had left behind all these worries, even if only for a day or two - it felt like a form of meditation, and like a gift. The gift of being entirely in the present. It was peaceful and wonderful.

I hope that I can keep ahold of some of that peace as I start back into responsibilities tomorrow with teaching Sunday School, and getting the girls ready for the first day at their new school Monday morning. I really hope that we can keep some of the peace as we face the vast unknown of job hunting and all the questions about career directions and whether to move and how to help aging parents and what to do now...

September is coming, the time of new beginnings. I know that usually this title is appropriated for Spring - but I am still moved by that school-imparted sense that something new is about to begin as September rolls around. A new year, a new beginning. Change is in the air, and I am hopeful that it will be good.

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