I left off stating in my last post that I wanted to share my journey home with all of you. That I do, so here goes. I might make some references that are from my first post so if you have not read it yet, you might want to or you can just continue to think that I am not making much sense. Our last night as a brave girl was a bit somber. I think that all of us were sad to leave our new found friends and such an indulgent authentic environment. As with anything we are fully enjoying, who ever wants to leave? This ran a little deeper in that we were going back to many of the challenges that we talked about, in the morning light. How would we fare with our new brave girl status? We hugged as if we were leaving family members and we said heartfelt thank yous to Melody, Kathy and their staff. Let me tell you, they have the best job ever and they do it effortlessly and beautifully…even though we know how much effort is put into the depth and beauty of the week’s events. I had a 5 am wake up call of which I dreaded the entire night. I am not a morning person…shocker. Night time is when my brain is on fire and that night was no different so having very little sleep, I hopped a cab, a little bleary eyed and reluctant to physically end my “walk” in Idaho.

I told you about my not so friendly seat mate on my way here in my earlier post. Well I was a little worried that this flight was going in the same direction when I got on the plane, glanced at my ticket and found my seat, as well as another young man sitting in the aisle seat. Looks like I would have to climb over his lap too! Should I say hello this time? Before I could, he jumped the gun and said, “Hi! I would politely stand up and let you in but I am paralyzed from the waist down.” This greeting caused an in depth conversation for the remainder of the flight. This was a young man who was very open with sharing his tragic car accident at 18 years of age that caused his injury. That was three years ago. He told me of how he is trying to go back to college this fall, of the pleasure he takes in writing poetry, the struggles living alone in his apartment and his dream of being an inspirational speaker. Talk about being BRAVE…I told him that he should always shoot for his dreams and that his poetry was a gift…it is. I said to him that he should give it all he had and being that I have children his age, I revealed that 

I  was overwhelmed with emotion when he announced that he was paralyzed and how it happened. As we parted, I leaving first to catch my connecting flight, while he waited for assistance as the plane emptied to get him into his wheelchair, I left him with a parting thought, “I am so proud of all that you have accomplished Bryon Walker.” (remember that name) He left me with a knife in the chest, “I wish my mom would tell me that she is proud of me.” No this is not the latest installment of a reality TV show but a huge affirmation of a lesson we had learned this past week.

He obviously was…with a smack dab in the face set back and a sense of humor that made you laugh…a belly laugh.

Wow…I booked it to my connecting flight for we landed late and it truly was a sprint to get to the next plane. I boarded it and low and behold, another young man was to be my seat mate…again on the aisle. Were there no women traveling between Idaho and Philadelphia that liked aisle seats? I guess they were all on a plane to Iowa. 

I flopped into my seat and fervently wished that THIS young man would not want to speak. Was I capable of instituting a “don’t talk to me bubble space?” Fatigue was starting to set in and after the weeks events and my emotional encounter, sleep was looking like a welcome friend. We both acknowledged each other and after some small talk, I promptly fell asleep against the window and thankfully not on his shoulder.

I woke up with my my face smashed up against the window, to this stunning view. I must have made quite an impression on Mr. young man.  I continued to drift in and out of wakefulness with thoughts of my past week fluctuating between taking in the changing landscape as we flew over it. As I slowly became more grounded in the present as I slowly woke up, I was amazed at the land that we were flying over and the changing terrain. From the arid deserts, to mountains of great height, fields of dry dusty brown and then verdant green. Rivers snaked through the vista and lakes sat still as if no motion was happening in them and they reflected the sun like glass. It struck me that the journey I was taking physically over the changing landscape was very synonymous with the journey of our lives. 

Sometimes the visibility of our path is fairly clear, there are few cloudy areas and everything is visible and out in the open.

Sometimes we cannot see anything, our path is unknown and we trust in others to show us the way.

Sometimes the path is twisted and there seems to be no straight or easy way to our goals.

Sometimes it seems like all we ever do is go in circles…ever have a day like that…or a week or two?

Sometimes life is set out like an orderly grid, everything makes sense…

sometimes it does not.

Sometimes life is verdant and green full of many blessings…

sometimes it is dry and barren, inhospitable in fact to living peacefully…especially for one’s soul.

We will experience new unchartered territory as well as the everyday routine.

It is not always smooth sailing but…

even if the blessings are hidden and they are not always obvious. Keep plowing through, keep being inspired by the beauty and the little things and…

Do not settle for anything less…there are is only one chance at this great big existence so seize it, look at the positives, count your blessings, even the little ones, and 

So, as I silently took my snap shoots out of the plane’s window periodically, I could feel the young man’s eyes at my back. He at one point said, “First time on a plane?” I replied, “No, first time really seeing it from a different perspective.” 

Thank you again Brave Girls Club.

As we launched into a conversation that lasted the rest of the flight based on the vision comment, a woman’s voice came on the speaker announcing our location, the weather and all of those little details the “man” pilot usually gives you. She signed off with,  ‘over and out… Susan.” How apropos that my flight home was captained by a woman pilot and my seat mates were open and sharing in their thoughts and lives. Funny how that was not the case on my trip out to the Brave Girl River Ranch…

~Meg