Countdown

If I take a moment and think about the craziest place in the world I ever expected to visit or contemplate living for 5 months, it would never in a million years, be Saudi Arabia.  Yet, here I am beginning to pack for a trip that will be anywhere from three to five months.  In eleven days, we leave

I still find myself dreaming of six to nine grandchildren.  I still find myself dreaming of them living with their parents near me.  And when I say near, I mean near.  Like one to my left and one to my right and the other right smack across the street.  But here I am, beginning to pack for a trip that will take me thousands of miles across the seas and sands to be close to my only two grandchildren.

It is a crazy world, a crazy life.  I don't think there is anything I wouldn't do for my kids and grand kids or anyplace I wouldn't go.  And so, I begin to pack for that trip.  There are four suitcases sitting on our bed waiting to be filled with whatever we think we will need for this extended trip of ours.  Mind you, after two weeks, I begin to get antsy and want to be in my own bed on my own turf.  Breathe, Helen.

So what does this all mean?

1. We will be caregivers and lovers of that sweet,  sometimes loud and always active Augie during the work week, until adequate and loving daycare can be provided for him.
2. On weekends, we will travel an hour to spend time with our delightfully charming Sojo.  
3. We will be a part of Tara, Dale, Sojo, Sean, Katherine and Augie's lives for 5 months. 
4. We will experience life as a Catholic Christian in a Muslim country.  
5. We will spend birthdays and holidays until the end of the year with Tara.  This is something we have not done in over 20 years.  A toddler's 2nd birthday, a big girl's 8th birthday, her Daddy's 47th birthday,Halloween, her Mama's 46th birthday, Thanksgiving and Christmas.  That's a lot of celebrating in 5 months.  Woo...hoo!!!
6. We may have some time to travel around the middle east.  Maybe Petra, Jordan or Muscat, Oman or Qatar.  
7. We will see LOTS of camels.
8. We will witness sunsets and sunrises like we have never seen.
9. We will live in a structured and protected compound that will be just like a small city or large gated community.  
10. I will wear an abaya and cover my hair when I leave the compound.  
11. We will hear the "call to prayer" from a loud speaker 5 times daily.  The sound is hauntingly beautiful.  It reminds me of some of the Gregorian chants I have heard.  
12. We will learn about another culture; one that we know little about.  
13. We will see sights and sounds and colors and smells that we have never seen, heard or smelled before. 
14. We will eat foods that we have never eaten before.
15. We will have many familiar American sights, sounds, colors and smells surrounding us.
16. We will watch the temperatures go from near 120 degrees Fahrenheit when we arrive to a very pleasant 74 degrees when we are ready to leave.
17. We will experience a lot of things we never knew or thought of.
18. We will be blessed by every thing.
19. We will miss certain foods, sights, conveniences, people, things we know and love.
20. We will miss Matt, Cathy and Aero more than we know.

I recently read something that seemed to fit our situation to a "t".  "when a blessing is being offered to you, you need to let go of something else in order to be able to grasp the blessing".  I am letting go of my fears, apprehensions, anxieties, concerns and reaching out for the newness, adventure and blessings being offered.  It is all good and all blessing.  Maybe I should get back to that packing.