It’s been such a while since I sat down to update my blog. It seems I have trouble doing too many things at one time. However today I was inspired. I was inspired in a few beautiful ways. I got home to some really cool snail mail. You see a while back I met a new friend. She read my article in Bella Grace, the one about our Mother Daughter photo project and it lead her to my blog and she was kind enough to send me an email telling me how she enjoyed the article. Let me just say, that never happens. I will get my few comments from my mom, or a really close family friend but very rarely do I get an email from a complete stranger who is brave enough to tell me she read my words and looked at my pictures and it touched her in some way. I think people like that are especially brave and kind and I wonder sometimes why there are not more people who share their thoughts as they might happen, and especially if they are good, kind and encouraging thoughts. I was leery at first because her name was Chris. Chris can be a male or female name. Not that I have anything against males but I keep it as a general rule not to have conversations on the internet with other men when I’m head over heels in love with motorcycle man. It’s just one of my own personal rules. I was cautious in my reply, yet I wanted Chris to know that I appreciated the words of encouragement that were sent. Chris responded back and even ended up inviting me to join a group word a day photo challenge. Just my kind of thing to do right? So I had to in a round about way, ask Chris a few questions to figure out if Chris was a woman friend. Sure enough Chris was a woman and I believe her, I really do! I believe we met sometime at the first of this year. She seemed to be filled with a lively spirt and one of adventure. And so a friendship of sorts was formed. I know, I know sounds weird but this is what happened.
I sent her a little package with some folded up cranes and a little note and the funniest part about that was, it actually got to her when I completely didn’t write the number address on the envelope, just the street name! Good work U.S. mail! We laughed about that and thought it was quite magical how it seemed to find it’s way to her without an actual number address. She then suggested we send each other post cards from places we might visit. Yes! Yes! let’s keep snail mail alive please! I of course agreed. Only…….I don’t get out much. My car mostly travels to work and into my hometown. Anyplace out of that and I’m lost. I get lost A LOT if it’s not my own backyard. Turns out Chris travels quite a lot! I think I sent her one post card to her dozen and I didn’t even go that far just a few hours away. I mean I’ve been to San Francisco since she and I became post card pen pals but that trip was a complete whirlwind and I didn’t find time to buy a postcard:(
Today when I got home there was a package from Chris and inside the package was a really cool travel journal. Her words to me in her card was this:
WONDERLUST: (n) A strong desire or urge to wander or travel and explore the world. Adventure awaits! xo Chris
I find excuses not to travel. I think work is more important, I think I never have enough money. I mean the saddest thing to think about is the time my sister lived in France for 5 years and not once, not one time did I get a passport and jump on an airplane to see where she lived. I kept making the excuse of not having enough time or money. That’s really sad you know. In fact she invited me this year to spend the month of August with her in France as she visits her mother and father-n-law. This summer we couldn’t because littlest and only girl has a commitment to Niall her sheep. I told my sister that when our littlest and only girl graduates in three years I promise I will visit France with her.
I’m thankful for connection. I’m thankful for being open to meet new friends. I believe with my whole heart that most people are good and that we learn from others. I think Chris will teach me to ignite my spirit of adventure!