Well, We Made It

My darling children and my blessed mother made it through three days of driving rather well. I was actually surprised at how easily and smoothly it all went. Yesterday afternoon we drove over the Mississippi River and showed Li'l Bit the "Welcome to Arkansas" sign. Her eyes got as big as saucers and her smile was even bigger. The girl was born in one of the coolest cities in the WORLD and she is come-unglued-ecstatic to be in Arkansas. Of all places.

Her enthusiasm is good for me. It reminds me that they don't care what is cool or hip. They only care about being where they are happy. And they've been happy in Boston and Arkansas. And we're in Boston all the time, so naturally, they want to spend more time in the Natural State. So here we are. The Land of Opportunity.

Opportunity.

We were chatting with Chris and Sweet Lou--more on them later--and they asked, "So, what are you going to do in Arkansas?" After the negativity ran it's lightening speed course through my brain waves, I said, "I'm going to be optimistic." We are in the south. We are going to devour everything South that we can. We are going to experience this region. And not just fried food. We're going to enjoy the best parts of this drastically different culture; we're going to learn about the history; we're going to take advantage of every bit of art and culture available--especially the free and inexpensive. And we're going to read. I think we're going to have lots of time to read.

Mostly, there is an obvious advantage that this part of the country has for us. Roots. History. People. I have a LIST of people we are dying to see. I'm not talking about sitting in a stuffy living room with a dozen distant relatives we hardly know. I'm talking about real love. Real, intimate friendships that have shaped our spiritual lives. And we're not just here for five days! We can actually sit down and relax and enjoy all the people we've loved along the way.

So, we're here. The journey begins, and I am excited. My heart is breaking everyday, because I wish I could meld my two worlds together into one. But, still, I'm excited.