Labor Day, 2011It's rainy and cool today....seems like fall is in the air. I've been thinking a lot about this blog entry and what I wanted to say....the pictures I would post, quotes I would use, funny ideas about school and jokes about teaching for the twenty eighth year in a row...stuff like that. But the truth is lately I have been thinking about journeys. It seems like everyone is on a journey these days. My sister-in-law, Ann, and my daughter Molly, seem to exemplify this to me. Ann is currently hiking the Camino in Spain ( http://www.santiago-compostela.net/) The Camino is 450 miles of backpacking and biking trails. Traditionally, it is a spiritual walk that dates back to the Middle Ages. She is hiking to raise money and awareness for Opportunity International. She left last week and will be gone for another five. Steven walked with her the first week, but now he is on his way back home. As her prayer partner, I lift her up daily and carry her in my heart as she traverses rain, slugs, muddy boots and the joy of a simple meal shared with fellow travelers.
Molly is on another kind of journey, but a similar one all the same. She left two weeks for her freshman year at Otterbein University. She tried out for the soccer team, helped her roommate deal with a severely broken leg, navigated the world of schedule changes, sorted through her dance placement and negotiated new friendships all in two weeks. She started with our help, but was soon left to deal on her own. She, too, is making her way through her own pilgrimage into life as an adult. Lastly, my thoughts turn to Kate. She is getting ready to finish a journey...she will graduate in May and plans to move on to graduate school. David and I are beginning the journey of a life with no children at home. None of these experiences are unique to us. Our stories will join those who came along before us and who will surely come after us. After all, life isn't a destination. It is a series of Stops Along the Way...
