Take Nothing for Granted
(Writer's note: Second in a series.)
My brother Hal and I have embarked on our "Back to the Beginnings" odyssey. We had originally planned to swing through Delhi, New York first and visit our mother's grave-site. But Hal and his wife Patti got a surprise visit from their daughter Kate and we adjusted our plans so Hal could spend more time with her on the back end of the trip. We moved Pittsburgh (Etna) to the front end of our journey.
Our first day was all driving: 9 hours, 568 miles. Hal started out driving and never relinquished the wheel in spite of my protestations. Some dynamics never change in a big brother- little brother relationship. All is good though as we had a first day that was full of what I used to view as coincidences but now believe are graceful messages from the Creator and the relative angels serving as our lives' constant guides. The message this day seemed to be, "You both are on the right healing path that aligns with God's will."
Events have aligned for me this past year that have put in my path a person who has become immensely dear to me. She is special in ways that defy description. Her name is Patti and we have become and continue to grow close in each moment we are together. And we are together when we are apart. Well my brother Hal's bride of 37 years, also a special woman, is also named Patti, spelled in that same unique way.
Someone needs to teach these folks in
Connecticut how to spell.
A couple hours into the trip the two seniors had an urgent need to make a pit stop! We also happened to be getting hungry. By impulse or inspiration we decided, "Lets pull off here at this exit." Just as we turn from the exit there is this quaint looking place appearing as a home offering all our needs. Where I use to say by chance the store was named "Patty's Pantry"; now I know these coincidences are small miracles. As if it was not enough, while we were enjoying our grinders at a picnic table outside, a guy on a 2017 Harley-Davidson Ultra Classic road up and parked right in front of us. Maybe not such a big deal but his license was from Chatham County, Georgia! He was on his way to the northern tip of the Blue Ridge Parkway so he could ride it back to the southern tip.
We hopped back on the Penn Turnpike and headed west. As the sun was setting, I was lobbying for us to make it all the way to steel town and suggested I could drive the last 2 hour leg. Hal was having nothing of it. He wanted to stop for the night. I finally surrendered and spotted a Hampton Inn on a distant hill and we pulled off at the next exit. After checking in we asked the gal at the front desk where we might find a good place to eat.
When we realized the town we were in
was Somerset!
We lost our mom Jeanne in a car accident (more about that in another post) 24 years ago in the town of Somerset, Kentucky, where she lived with our step father Alfred Hamilton. Alfred passed away there just a few short months ago. We will be visiting their resting place in just a few short days. Take nothing for granted.
Amen Momma Jeanne and Papa Al.
Bradford Bosworth
June 2017
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