It's Saturday morning in Ohio and I sit here looking out the window at OUR Le Jardin (The garden in French! ....this picture was taken in Normandy) and I want this blog entry to be a reflection on the insights I jotted down on the paper napkin I wrote on while flying back. The words may not describe the pictures....they are more a description of what's inside me as I reflect on the lessons brought home to me on our travels.
First...this blogging business....
Why would you think that with 207 emails waiting for me, yard work to catch up on, etc etc I would choose to be here at 6 AM BLOGGING!!??
PARTLY IT'S BECAUSE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IN MY LIFE......MY (OUR) RELATIONSHIPS!!
.........It's because of YOU! Let me try to explain....
As we prepared for our trip we used google earth. When you first click on google earth you see the whole world from space.....then you simply type in an address (Nancy's...Mel's Mom who graciously let us stay in her apartment in downtown Paris) and in it zooms....and I do mean zooms!....right there...to her very apartment building. On the way zooming in you see the Eiffel tower just blocks away and then her place! Paris is one of the most cosmopolitan cities in the world with MILLIONS of people. We made connection with people from many continents and countries while riding the metro, climbing the Eiffel etc...... some of whom we got to know in those brief yet meaningful encounters. There are those millions......in the world community.....there are those we have met.....there are those who we.....consider dearest of friends.......there is our immediate and extended "family" of which you are a part. Among those connections we have made IN OUR LIFETIME their are those who are deeply important to us.....some who follow our lives through this blog.....like YOU! Some who are even children of friends whose paths we have crossed. A couple of years ago Pat and I made an acquaintance with a gal whose blog we found through another blog. If you follow this life story you may know we got to visit Beth and her 5 children, went to her house in Virginia and now consider her one of our very dear friends. When I got home last night I checked the blog and found this comment from one of Beth's 3 daughters, Sydni......
"Bill and Pat!!!
Remember me? I'm Beth Brawleys daughter and I just started blogging.I loved reading about your trip to Paris, traveling the world has always been something I long to do, seeing and hearing you talk about your encounters with the French and all of their qualities has only inspired me even more to go see the world. "
(You can see her blog here.)
.....and this morning I ask again......What stuff on this planet REALLY matters anyway???
Answer...
......YOU ........you who are OUR family and friends.....who we care so much for and who care enough about us to check in.....CAUSE THAT'S WHAT FRIENDS AND FAMILY DO, RIGHT....
.......THEY CHECK IN ON EACH OTHER!!!!
YOU go through life with us....we go through stuff....TOGETHER....through the fun and the laughter and the great difficulties which make this life such a tapestry of color. ...and provide one reason for the importance of this blog! TO STAY ......CONNECTED!!!
.........IT'S ALL REALLY ABOUT...LOVE....
Love for our kids whose faces and lives are reflected in the archives of pictures throughout this blog....and their families.....and the relationships they have with each other.......
....like Meg and Mel.......
.....it's about adventuring life together.....WITH ALL OF YOU.....
Pat and I have been in love with each other for 46 years now. That love has GROWN....and grown to extend to who knows how many others God has brought into our lives.......over that time.....
2 comments:
Wow. We love you, too. What a great post. I think any of us who blog or even who value our network of friends, no matter where we met them, can relate to your description of the emotion we feel.
Isn't it amazing that a decade ago, relationship development like this wasn't even thought of? It makes you wonder what other awesome things might be in store through the development of technology. I do believe that God can and will use just about ANYTHING to redeem the world, and part of that redemption is in the love, support and encouragement that is found through our human relationships.
So much for my sermon. Thanks for lifting up Syd, and welcome home...
Welcome home and ditto to all.
Love you and missed you.
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