I just arrived home from a visit to Pueblo, Colorado in order to see Mike bowl in a state tournament out there this weekend. It was a long trip but thankfully it was about 200 miles shorter than having to go all the way to Montrose where Mike's home is. I don't know a whole lot about bowling, except how to be one of the best in the entire universe at throwing the infamous "gutter ball". It was fun to watch him and all of the other bowlers and wonder in awe at their uncanny ability to knock down all of those pins, time after time after time. Yesterday was a full afternoon of bowling and they finished up the last 3 games this morning. I took out right after breakfast in order to return a little earlier. With lots of stuff to finish up around here, I thought it was best to get an early start back home to Kansas.
It's a long ways from my home in Hutchinson, Kansas to Mike's home in Montrose, Colorado~611 miles of a "long way" to be exact. I can well remember the first time I made the journey way back in early January of this year. Foolishly I thought I'd make the entire 11 and a half hour journey on my own in one fell swoop, in the dark, in unknown surroundings, in the middle of winter. Of necessity, I learned quickly to have great respect for the mountainous terrain of south western Colorado and indeed how quickly the weather changes from hour to hour, from altitude to changing altitude. I had absolutely no clue, that first trip out, where I was going or what I might encounter along the way. I laugh when I remember the crazy question that I asked Mike as I was driving out that first evening when I said, "Hey, do you live where bears might be?" In my mind, I had envisioned his home being in the remote wilderness where giant grizzlies made it a habit to ring your doorbell and invite themselves "to home" at your dining room table. Wow, what a "flatlander" I was and still am, by the way. When I arrived at his home in the early morning hours that Saturday, I was pleasantly surprised to find that Mike lives very close to "civilization", only a stone's throw away from the city of Montrose. And now, 6 visits later, I feel very much at home there~a good thing too since come May 21st, Montrose will be my home, my "new home", as well.
One week from tomorrow, I will see Mike again as he flies into Wichita from Colorado. The next day we will be married after the "last day of school" bell has rung. Our families plus many students, teaching cohorts, and friends will join us in the gymnasium of Lincoln Elementary School for our wedding. On Friday of that week, we will return home to Montrose and begin our new life there together. Both of us are still amazed at the fact that two people from so very long ago could meet up with one another 40 years after we were at the same high school in the small town of Haven, Kansas. We stopped trying to figure it out and just accept it as the blessing that it turned out to be. For both Mike and I, how wonderful was the realization that it was not too late for us, that indeed the time was the "right time" for us to meet one another again. With what days we have left in our lives, we intend to love each other and go through this life together. Only fools would believe that the road ahead of us will be smooth. We know full well that there will be "bumps" along the way, heck there might even be a few "potholes". But there is nothing that we cannot survive, absolutely nothing that we cannot accomplish as long as we stick together and that we surely intend to do.
The week ahead will probably be the busiest one of our lives. Much to do in both places, Montrose and Hutchinson. Even though it seemed at times like the days would never pass before we could be together again, they have really flown quickly by. Many thanks should be given to all of our family and friends who have supported us and stood beside us in our decision to marry. In both Kansas and Colorado and many other places, there are good people who would do anything for either of us. What a blessing those folks have been. As for me, I remember with gratitude all of the people, who many times, "prayed" me home on the long route along Highway 50 between the Renfro House and the Miller House. I can remember many times, how that simple of act of kindness and friendship lifted me up on those many miles of travel. We are beholden to many good people~may we do the same for each of you some day too.
Well the day is nearly done. As days go, it was a wonderful one, a great Mother's Day. I heard from each of my 3 children and was thankful in the knowledge that each of them was alive and well. And even though my own dear mom is no longer here on earth to celebrate this special Sunday, I was able to call on the phone the woman who will soon be my mother-in-law, Mike's mom Bonnie. She is such a nice woman, one who accepts me as her own "daughter" now and what a gift that is to me. I miss my own mother but she would be so very glad to know that another "mom" is there for me now. I love them both!
Hoping you all have had a great day and if you were able to do so, that you visited or called your own moms out there. It took me a long time in life to be able to really appreciate what my mother did for me and for my 6 siblings. With regret, I'm sorry that I didn't realize it earlier but sometimes you have to go through a lot of life before you get to that point in time. Luckily, it happened for me and I could thank her for it before she passed away in 2007. Wishing everyone a good evening, wherever you are in this world. I love you guys, ALL of you, and I thank you for being my good friends. I would not have been able to make it to this day without you.
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