A Place of Protection and Peace

We have finished the memorial service honoring Don; we think he was pleased. We know that his siblings felt comforted by the way we honored their big brother, and that pleases us. It's always interesting to watch families, especially blended families, in times of stress trying to avoid the landmines that inevitably present themselves. All evidence is that everyone involved is going home whole, and that's about the best outcome there can be.

There's always a period of emotional "hang-over" for me after putting so much concentrated energy for so long into a completed project. At the end, my tendency is to jump headlong into another project, just because the adrenaline has taken over where my brain used to be. A little "hair of the dog that bit me" seems like a good idea at these times, and I become like a freight train careening downhill with no brakes.

Thank The Almighty for placing Richard in my path. He doesn't even attempt to stop the train; he simply lays down a stretch of sidetrack which slows me down and guides me safely home. It's impossible to go ninety-to-nothing on these mountain roads, so the energy saved can be channeled into more peaceful pursuits, like a retreat with one of my favorite people.

I've wanted to start a retreat center ever since the worst time my life fell apart over twenty years ago. Sometimes, too much comes crashing in on us at one time, and our lives spin so fast with no forward motion that our batteries die. Unlike in Peter Pan where all we had to do was believe in fairies and clap our hands to bring the spirit of Tinkerbell back alive; in real life, we sometimes have to be hooked up to a strong energy source to rejuvenate ourselves. The life Richard has provided me is my jump start. I'm thrilled when others want to plug into that protection and peace.

...And Richard's sumptuous salads are always good fuel.