“…an ordinary moment in an extraordinary life”

The RV lifestyle we’ve chosen this time around is a simple one. 

We seldom choose to pay for the extreme convenience of a sewer hook-up so we’re usually on the lookout for a free dump station, and in most cases we find one.

Some campgrounds in our chosen price range offer the luxuries of electricity and water but just as many don’t so we depend on our small generator and holding tanks to supply the few “modern” conveniences we desire. 

This means watching our small TV is a rare occurrence and reading occupies most of our evening hours. 

And now I’m going to shamelessly plug one of those books…

A friend of mine suggested a book called, “Driving Miss Norma” written by Miss Norma’s son Tim Bauerschmidt and daughter-in-law Ramie Liddle, who are full-time RVers.  

The book tells the tale of a 90 year-old woman (Miss Norma) who immediately after losing her husband of almost 70 years is diagnosed with uterine cancer, which at her age is likely terminal.  Instead of putting herself through surgery, chemo and radiation treatments the 90 year-old, “says YES to living” and chooses to go on one final road trip adventure with Tim, Ramie and their dog Ringo when they offer to include her in their full-time RV travels.  

Miss Norma is a meek, soft-spoken little old lady (a whopping 5’ tall) typical of her generation, who dutifully chose to serve her country during WWII, married, had children, raised those children, suffered through the illness and loss of her only daughter but quietly continued to take care of everyone else’s needs before hers, as she was taught a good wife and mother does. 

Now, she’s given the option to choose how to die and she makes that choice like a warrior without blinking an eye and she chooses to go on the most epic journey of her life.  Well done Miss Norma! 

You’ll have to read the book yourself to get the details of Miss Norma’s final adventures but I will tell you that this meek, soft-spoken little old lady had a from-the-gut courage that has you cheering for her page after page after page. 

In fact, for the most part, her cancer symptoms disappeared. 

How can this be, you ask?!

Perhaps just offering a choice created and given with the purest form of love has the power to heal.

Perhaps just choosing to accept an offer created and given in the purest form of love has the power to heal.

Perhaps the combination of both is a gift we all receive everyday but are too busy to recognize.

If I were given the same diagnosis as Miss Norma would I choose to head to the nearest pharmacy/ cancer treatment center or choose to pull out the road map, fill up the gas tank and seek out those places and people that make life worthwhile?

What would you choose?

I don’t think we truly know the answer to that until the moment comes crashing into our lives.

In the meantime, live each day knowing that life is so very, very fragile, ridiculously short and you ALWAYS have the power of choice.

Most importantly of all, don’t ever underestimate the power of “saying YES to living” and never, ever, ever underestimate those among us who “appear” meek and soft-spoken. 

“We would sit outside on the porch until the sun set behind the mountains and enjoy an ordinary moment in an extraordinary life”

-Driving Miss Norma written by Tim Bauerschmidt & Ramie Liddle