~From a place, REALLY far away~

Greetings to everyone out there from far, I mean REALLY far away from home, Langley, Washington.  It's Friday the 26th day of July and tomorrow afternoon my first-born son Ricky is getting married to a wonderful young woman named Angie here on Whidbey Island, Washington.  It was a journey of over 1,200 miles for me to get here and after flying out from Montrose, Colorado yesterday I arrived here on this small island in the very late evening hours.  What a "sight for sore eyes" the two guys shown below were for me as they picked their mom up at my shuttle stop on Whidbey's south side.

Hard to imagine that these two guys are really 8 years apart in age any more.  Funny how the passing years seem to make you look at things in a different perspective.  They have much in common to talk about and relate to with one another.  What seems really weird is that they share the same mannerisms, the same verbiage almost even though they have grown up nearly a generation apart and have seldom seen one another over the course of the past few years.  I loved listening to them visit with one another last evening as they sat on the couch together in the living area of our motel room here on the island.  Their mom made a lot of memories to store up in less than an hour's time.

Today has been a good day for a little exploring around this area and to learn a little bit more about this place that my son and his soon to be new wife will call "home".  I've got to admit, prior to this time in my life, that I had never even heard of this place called "Whidbey Island".  When Ricky told me about it, the name didn't even ring the proverbial "bell".  Although I am pretty sure that I wouldn't want to live here, it's been nice to visit it and to see a new part of the world.  When I leave here late in the evening hours tomorrow, I will do so knowing that my son will be just fine and that just like my life is being played out as part of its great "plan", so his shall be as well.  And that is good~

You know, Ricky was an "only child" for 8 years of his life.  We shared a lot of times  together both the good and the bad, that boy and I did.  I'm closing this blog post with a few photos of times that have brought me so much joy as a "mom" over these many, many years.  And with this, I'm off to explore the area on foot today and see all that I can take in during such a very short stay.  One last thing though~and then I PROMISE, I will stop talking and be quiet :).....Some of you who are reading this, have played an important part of helping in the upbringing of a young man named Ricky Miller.  If you are one of them, I say "thank you" for what you did to help not only him, but me as well.  For two years, I was a single-parent trying my best to do what I could in raising him up all on my own.  Things weren't always easy, but we made it and the only way that ever could have happened was because many of you practiced what is preached in the adage "It takes a village....."  

All of you reading this, have in one way or another assisted with the upbringing of other kids out there.  I know there are many of you who have helped in the care of grandchildren, nieces or nephews.  How many teachers are there out there reading this who have gone the extra mile or two or ten for the kids in their classrooms each day?  Have you helped with Scouts or taught Sunday School or mid-week programs for your church? Maybe you are the kind of neighbour who watches out over all of the kids that play in the front yards all up and down the street where you live.  For whatever you might have done, as a "former" single-parent myself,  I thank you on behalf of all the other parents out there who have found themselves in such a place in life.  When we needed the help the very most, there you guys were~stepping in to pick up the slack when we could not.  To you, I am indebted and will always be thankful for.

We both have enjoyed biking over the years~here in Wichita with my old bike, one he lovingly named the "voodoo bike" because of my propensity to seemingly crash it at will.  He redid it and customized it to fit himself and rode it for several more years.  

 He and his little brother Grahame have always been good and kind spirits.  They along with their little sister Ursela, especially loved their grandmother very much.  I was thankful that they were with her when she passed in 2007.  They remained alongside of her until the end.  

It took pretty much a huge leap of faith to step away and allow this photo to be taken :)  A boy who wanted to hold his baby brother so badly, even dressed up as a Denver Broncos quarterback.  He didn't drop Grahame, in fact that little baby boy slept through the whole picture taking ordeal.  

Now it is his turn :)