 Windmills in Ithaca, Michigan 21 August 2015 Rolling farmland stretched out as far as the eye could see, with the occasional rustic barn and farmhouse dotted in between. I soaked up my first images of rural Michigan, excited to finally connect my sister and her family to the state I'd heard so much about over the years. It was vibrant, beautiful, with a soft, inviting feel to it that reminded me of my sister's personality. This place suits her, I thought. Suddenly we came up on a huge stretch of fields covered in towering white windmills. Their enormous blades gently turned in silent sentry. God, they were bewitching. I smiled because my sister is like that too sometimes. Startling and unexpected, powerful and full of energy. My husband and I drove fourteen hours (one way) to see her daughter get married, but the real reason we went was to be supportive of people who through happy circumstance have become part of us. My Mary Sunshine and her family have been woven through the fabric of our lives in a pattern that just makes perfect sense, bonded to us with the thread of our shared military experiences. It is difficult to put into words the forged-by-fire feel that often happens among military wives, as they make a sisterhood to anchor themselves to when life gets overwhelming and blood kin is far away. Sometimes that lifeline was the only thing that kept me sane. So, we trekked a total of 810 miles this past weekend to be there for the life-changing event..little J.'s marriage. We danced, laughed, cried, hugged a lot of people, made some new friends and celebrated J's life-journey. Along the way, my husband and I got to spend quality time together talking about nearly every topic imaginable, solved all the world's problems on some Interstate up north, enjoyed the view of America where our path took us that we'd have completely missed out on if we'd taken a plane (...which would have been a tragedy), and added some new experiences to our own life-journey (i.e. seeing my very first great lake in person...now I want to see them ALL). It was an amazing weekend and already I can't wait to see my sister again! I want to extend a warm thank you to the people in Michigan who were so kind and welcomed us with open arms! Hospitality is NOT just a southern thing!
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About The Author
I grew up in rural North Carolina. When I was only nineteen, I moved away and became a military wife. My only aspiration at that tender time in my life was to create an adult life that "fixed" all of the "injustices" of my childhood. Secretly, however, I wanted to reach for the sky! I wanted to be a writer and find ways to "save the world" (my mother used to say, "You have Save the World Syndrome".). Mostly, I wanted to matter. Archives
August 2021
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