SUNDAY
It’s 10:30pm. Tomorrow morning, our youngest daughter leaves bright and early for Montana. In the afternoon, Beth and I fly back to New York. And Helen will resume life here in St. Petersburg, Florida.
In my opinion, today was a magical end to a week without any difficult family drama. Thanks be to God.
MONDAY
4:30am. I’m lying in bed, reading a novel by Nora Roberts, probably my fourth or fifth one. I’ve read all of her books under her pseudonym (J.D. Robb) and it’s likely I will dig deep into a lot more of her other books, too.
Roberts’ books are considerably more romantic than I would have thought I’d enjoy, but I am tending to be more open to that kind of writing these days. I think my heart must be softening.
Yeah, it is. Last night we watched “In Between the Mountains and the Sky” as a family. Beth and I watched it together last month and it’s a definite tear-jerker full of light and love that I enjoyed as much the second time around. I highly recommend it because viewing it also supports the filmmaker’s mission of improving the lives of children and women in Nepal.
Our last day as a family (as I indicated above) was terrific. We took a hike in a state park, then walked through a Greek town (Tarpon Springs) and enjoyed a delicious meal of salad, pita and other appetizers sitting by the water. Driving home, we stopped at the Publix to gather supplies to make lunches for our flights and then watched the movie snuggled together on the couch with one of Helen’s dogs.
I’m leaving out one detail: we listened for an hour or so in the morning as Helen told us about her life. She evidently needed the time to vent and I’m so glad all three of us heard her out. I think doing so not only benefited her, but made the four of us bond together as the rest of our day and evening unfolded. That’s what I call magical and, again, I attribute it to our work and the power of unseen hands.
Thank you to all who have helped us along with your prayers. You are a part of this moment.
Oh – and don’t forget to watch that movie, preferably with someone you love. Or just know that I love you.
https://www.betweenthemountainandthesky.com
