Almost
5 weeks has passed since we left Arizona and 3 ½ weeks since we pulled into
Whitefish, Montana. Time flies but
lately it’s been in extreme warp speed!
Yikes!
Already
I’ve seen an amazing array of Americans, Canadians & Europeans roll through
in their 5th wheels, travel trailers, tent campers, motor homes and
every size and shape of tent imaginable.
Each
and every person has been a living testimony to the theory that travel feeds
the Spirit and the outdoors satisfies a primal need that completes the human
Soul.
It’s
a simple Truth, no more complicated than that.
You
can almost hear the harmony of pieces coming together and worries fading away
when you sneak a peek of folks sitting around a crackling campfire. Neither rain, snow or the early spring cold
of Northern Montana dampens their moods or lessens the joys of “camping”!
A
highlight of yesterday comes to mind that I’ll share and then sign off.
A
small older compact car rolled in late yesterday afternoon while I was manning
the check-in booth. A young lady was in
the driver’s seat, the car was packed to the gills with groceries, tent and
other camping gear. We went through the
customary rig-a-ma-roll. She told me she
had a reservation, I confirmed it, gave her a tag to hang on her mirror showing she was registered and told her she was in site #8. I noticed there was a girl child, perhaps 8
or 10 years old, among the camping paraphernalia in the back seat who was
noticeably mentally and/or physically handicapped. Her window was rolled down and she seemed to
be listening intently to the conversation her mom and I were having. Before her mom departed I asked the girl, “so
you’re going camping huh”? To which she
replied, “YES! We’re in site number
8…YAY!!!!” The joy that radiated from
this joyful child washed over me like a cool breeze on a blazing hot day.
What
a gift I’ve been given to be a part of something that brings such joy to a
child that likely faces challenges over and beyond my knowing.
I
am blessed beyond understanding and I am so very, very grateful.
Good morning! Thanks for telling us about things there, and for sharing the story of the mom and daughter. Gifts! And, enjoyed your comments about Tom wearing out his prosthesis... it's one of the things I love about him, that nothing stops him from loving life and enjoying adventures. He is the most UN-handicapped person you will ever meet! Not sure if you knew his story... he was 23, working in a feed mill, and stepped into a grain auger. Don't think he has ever looked back or felt sorry for himself... life is to be lived and enjoyed! Love your quote, "Just "existing" is for sissies ... I choose to Live." That about sums it up! Take care... hugs to you both. Dianne & Tom (P.S. Tom wants to see some photos of Montana fish :)
ReplyDeleteOne photo of Montana fish coming up! Dave caught his first 2 earlier this week. More to come I'm sure!
ReplyDeletenice fish!!! enjoy the time there and maybe some day we can fish the same spot together. Tom
Deletethat would me most excellent Tom!
ReplyDelete