off they go

Today my parents are heading out on another adventure... Italy. It makes me so happy when they travel...when they have the chance to see the world... together. They have explored glaciers in Alaska, climbed Ayer's Rock in Australia, seen what remains of the Berlin wall. They have milked goats, built a mud hut in Africa, snorkeled the Great Barrier Reef. I am not envious... just filled with joy. This time they have together is a gift... a gift not everyone receives. My Grandpa had Alsheimers... he & my Gramma did not have the chance to play and enjoy their retirement... My Uncle Tommy lost his life... and he and my Aunt Kathy lost that chance of joy, too. I think of them often and I think about the sadness and the unfairness of it all. And then I see how my parents have been able to embrace their retirement and live every moment of it... and it renews my hope. Every new adventure they embark upon is a gift. My prayer for them is that their travel will be safe and that, again, they will find God's beauty all around them.