Nothing like it!

"There is nothing like returning to a place that  remains unchanged to find the ways in which you  yourself have altered."  Nelson Mandela

There is an expanse of the sky that floats above a vally that holds my Oregon "home". I am lucky enough to get to be there for a week or so almost every year. My husband's parents live in a lovely home built on a rim rock with this view off of their deck. Since we began visitng this place I've lived in two different countries, four different towns and six different houses. I've changed professions, seen two kids learn to drive, and watched them graduate from highschool and head off to find their own lives. This year, my daughter will be getting married! So, as life has sped along and often felt tumultuous, this expanse of sky is always there to remind me that the essetial pieces of my life remain unchanged.

The first time I read Mandela's quote I thought of this place that has become so very important and special to me. It is a haven. A place to sit, walk, talk, meditate....regroup. It quiets the noise and sharpens my awareness that those things I hold most dear (my faith and my family) remain strong. And it awakens in me a sense that I am growing ~ not stuck (as the day to day might sometimes suggest)...growing closer to God and to those I love. And growing to know, accept and love myself more and more....

There really is nothing like returning to this place!