Family love is the title of the group texts everyone is sending with all the photos and news and plans for the day. We have a full house because Grandma Joanne and Chip’s sister Karen have made the epic trek from Ocala to Haines. Karen was hoping to fly down to Vancouver for a horse riding clinic today but the sunshine has turned to rain and fog and we are on weather hold. She’s taking it well. We all agreed there is nothing to be done. (No ferry today, and the Fjordland water taxi is already full.)
With Joanne here, the Juneau kids and grand kids ( her great grand kids) all have come to see her and the local family is making big efforts to do the same.
It’s been kind of crazy and fun the way it is when we gather and there has been a bike race ( successful for all of us), long runs for the marathon planners (Chip and JJ ), long rides for the IronMan trainers ( Eliza and Justin), and swims in cold lakes too. There are trail runs with the ridge runner (Sarah), and a lot of meals (That’s me, mainly but everyone pitched in and last night Brian made ribs.) I think there were 20 for dinner but I’m losing track of the numbers. Everyone had plenty to eat, that’s the main thing, and we have kept Grandma Joanne’s white wine chilled.
We tried to take a picture with Grandma before a melt down of the littles last night ( it is hard to go to bed when the sun is shining) and it almost came out… It makes me laugh. (Imagine the parents all coaching off screen. )
Yesterday during Sarah’s regular Sunday afternoon yoga class in the dance studio on Main Street I almost took a nap (“It’s your practice” she says) and while I was considering skipping the side planks I had a revelation : I can hold two seemingly opposite feelings– overwhelmed and overjoyed.Life is both and not either or. I told that to my girls before dinner in the noisy kitchen, and they were like, “duh.”
Here I thought I was a genius. Practically a spiritual guru. That I could have a whole new career as a wise woman. Guess I need to be more like Henry and Chip.
