Our bags are packed and we are enjoying a last evening at home with James, Dan and Erin before departing for the airport at 6 am tomorrow morning. Pat and I are feeling very blessed tonight. We have had so many calls from friends and loved ones in the past few weeks wishing us well, and our patients and co-workers have been so supportive! Here are a few highlights:
- My friends at Clara's House Child Partial Hospitalization Program gave me a farewell party, complete with travel gifts and dinner and a beautiful engraved leather album for my pictures - only someone (ummm ... Rebecca?) forgot to invite me. I learned about it the week of the party, and found myself wondering how a person should handle this; do I go to the restaurant and just hang around? The day of the party someone said "Are you ready for your party tonight?" and voila, I had my invitation. So I showed up at the restaurant listed on the email invitation, told the wait staff "I'm here for my party" and they said "What party? We don't have any parties tonight". There was, it turns out, a later email changing venues, and (Rebecca?) someone forgot to send me that one. ANYWAYS, it was fun once I got there. Gotta love that Rebecca.
- Pat's friends at work had a great lunch for him, and they actually invited him to it.
- Many wonderful physicians in St. Cloud have been willing to help cover Quiet Oaks Hospice House, allowing Pat to leave without any worry at all that this special place will continue to thrive.
- Our coworkers have been so generous in being willing to care for our patients while we are gone. We leave knowing that they are in excellent hands!
- In church Sunday, our congregation gave us a wonderful blessing as we set out on this journey. We were so deeply touched by that, and will carry their good wishes and prayers in our hearts every day.
And tonight, as we struggle to say goodbye to our kids for six months, we are so grateful for their presence in our lives and for the care we know they will give to each other in our absence. Love is truly a wonderful thing.
Next stop, New Zealand!
Hope the first leg of your journey is going well. Looking forward to reading about your adventures.
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