Advertisement
It’s a familiar wish, to be able to go back and relive a time or an event with the benefit of already knowing what would be learned in the process. My most recent example is that before we came to Cuba, I bought a backpack from Goodwill as mine was in severe disrepair. I found one that suited me even though it was different. It had just one strap, so I figured it just went over one shoulder like so many people wear back packs with two straps. So I wore it over one shoulder on trips through airports, bus stations, on converted cattle trucks, in horse and carts, old US made cars from the 1950’s and mainly walking from one place to another. As a sidebar, one of the popular answers to the question, “How are we going to get there?” is “The first half, on foot and the second half, walking.” So, I carried my backpack with one strap on my left shoulder and did a lot of walking. Months later I had a memory of an ad about a new kind of backpack with one strap that went over one shoulder but across the chest in the front
to create a more balanced weight distribution. Sure enough, when I tried it that way, my backpack felt about twice as light, and I thought to myself how silly I had been not to try that before. What I wish I had known then…
Often I have felt like that about many things, like how to get around Matanzas, how to navigate the interstate bus system, how to arrange alternate transportation to get to special events, how to cook Cuban food, how to understand Cuban sayings, aphorisms and jokes, and how to pray in Spanish, not just out loud but in my heart. I feel like I settled into the culture pretty quickly when we arrived, but still several things took time which could not be rushed. And now finally as we are about a week away from leaving, I feel like I have actually learned a thing or two, and wish I had more time to put that knowledge into practice. It reminds me of the final song at the end of the Carol Burnette Show, “Seems we just get started and before you know it, comes the time we have to say, ‘So long.’ “
Stan
and I have had such a powerful, affirming and beautiful experience of following a calling to serve God here that we hope to repeat it in the future. One of our dreams is to come with the Sigmon Siler family who were the inspiration for this trip. If God can open the doors that were opened for this trip, then I am encouraged to trust God again for whatever the future holds.
Last fall, when I still didn’t know how to carry my backpack, I would often look at the bay and face north and send my prayers and love to my family. After my dad became sick, I still would look at the bay and lean into the power of the water to help me carry all the emotions I was holding. Then after he died and Stan and I came back to Cuba, when I went to the bay I felt consolation in the water, in the air, and particularly in the wind. My dad loved the ocean, and it is about impossible to see it without thinking of him. He would often ask me about Cuba when we would return from one of our trips or when we would be getting ready to go on another one. He wanted to come and see Cuba for himself. I wish he had been able to come and often imagined the fun we would have had. But finally the water and the wind taught me the most important lesson of all.
He finally made it to Cuba. Thanks be to God.
Advertisement
Tot: 0.077s; Tpl: 0.01s; cc: 8; qc: 48; dbt: 0.0508s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.1mb
Kelly Dotson
non-member comment
Tears of joy and sorrow
As I read this tears are flowing down my cheeks. I think it is a mixed bag of tears. Tears of joy flow for me that we will soon be reunited. I have missed you so! Years of sorrow as I can feel your grief as you prepare to leave this place that for the last 10 months you have called home. Tears of pride flow because I am so proud of the way you have both lived into Gods calling. Tears of thanksgiving for the love that flows from you to us across the ocean. God speed mi Tia and Tio! I can't wait to see you!