My friend Donna and I have been anxiously waiting for a break in the rainy and windy weather so we could go kayaking, and we finally got our chance on Memorial Day morning.  We could not have asked for a more beautiful day to head out onto one of the back creeks of the Chesapeake Bay to enjoy God’s beautiful creation and to celebrate our freedom as Americans that came at a very high price.

Indeed, the importance of this holiday was not lost on us.  It is so easy to get caught up in the fun of a long weekend and forget why this holiday is on our calendars. 

It is hard to believe that it has been over thirty years since I have been able to celebrate Mother’s Day in person with Mom, who is also my best friend.  That breaks my heart even to this day, and there is a void in my soul that will never go away, although I do not focus on it as much as I did years ago. 

One important lesson that I have learned over the years is that this journey called life is full of many twists and turns.  Some of these lead to exciting life changing experiences that I have anticipated for years, such as my recent retirement, while others are ones that I could have done without, such as Mom’s death and the loss of other very important people in my life.