It was a crisp morning. Blue skies. Beautiful September morning.
I was in New Jersey headed for Brooklyn, New York. I had to deliver a load of clothing to a warehouse.
I had the radio on to Howard Stern (not sure why...don't really like the guy, but sometimes his conversations were interesting).
He was interviewing some gal in his studio. He was asking her all kinds of weird questions when all of a sudden he was interrupted.
I was now sitting in traffic waiting to go through one of the few toll booths to cross bridges that connected New Jersey to New York. This area always fascinated me because of the people in the cars. They drive like they are the only ones on the road while weaving in and out. It's amazing there weren't more accidents as they dart back and forth around me.
I am near the outside lane. The roads go from a 4-lane freeway to wide open spaces at the toll booths right back to a massive bottle neck just on the other side.
Howard Stern chimes back in as my thoughts are dashed by his ranting over the radio.
"What?" he yells as you hear paper rustling near his microphone.
"Look at the monitor" a female voice says in the background of the radio.
"What the.....we're being bombed!" Howard yells out.
I look at the radio thinking that he was just pulling some sick joke over the air waves. Bombed, yea right!
Just then, the lights at the toll booths all turned from green to red. Every one of them. Traffic was now stopped. People were getting out of their cars. Some crying, others with their hands over their heads in disbelief. One lady got out of the passenger side and fell to the ground to her knees. She was visibly crying uncontrollably. Many other people were wandering around like they were totally lost, leaving their vehicles behind. It was like a moment out of some horror movie unfolding in front of me.
I watched for a few minutes then had just about enough of Howard Stern and his audience calling in yelling stuff that I couldn't make out. I turned my radio to CNN news to see if I could make sense out of what was going on in front of me.
As the radio tunes in, a man is yelling, "I watched the tower just blow up! I don't know what happened...it just exploded! OH MY GOD" He yells again. My heart skips a beat as I take a deep breath trying to listen to the radio. "Here comes another one...." he yells. His phone goes silent. The news broadcaster comes back on the radio and in a voice clearly cracking from emotion mentions that the man we were listening to was in a building just across from the Twin Towers in New York City.
The story unfolded. A large passenger plane crashed in to one of the Towers. It was thought to be an accident. Then when the second plane crashed in to the second tower, it was now clear that it was terrorism unfolding on America.
Chaos continued in front of me as I tried to maneuver my truck through a slow moving traffic to a side road that could lead me back to the freeway. I needed to get out of the area and head to what I would hope to be a safer haven. I ended up in Edison, New Jersey for the night. Not a huge distance, but I was now out of traffic and parked where I could listen to the radio and also see the horizon to the east of me.
The story on the radio continued to unfold as the Pentagon was now hit and another plane went straight down to the ground in Pennsylvania. I looked out over the horizon to what was now a quiet and warm evening in Edison.
Smoke slowly drifted southward from New York City. The setting sun in the west glowed on the smoke to the east. I was outside of the truck now praying for the souls in the buildings and the planes. What could have happened? Why was this happening?
I walked slowly towards the truck when I heard a rustling in the trees across the parking lot. I was the only one there. Not another soul around. I watched trees to make out what the sound was. It was a Doe. Her tail twitched as she nibbled on a few leaves from the trees. Her head came up quickly at the sound of my radio in the truck.
There were screams now over the news. I could hear that the buildings were now collapsing in on themselves. The news was filled with chaos of confusing interviews and screams.
I looked back at the Doe as tears filled my eyes thinking of all the people that were instantly swept away from this world. The doe was oblivious to anything going on...totally unaware that just across the river was utter chaos and destruction. My heart sunk as I watched the doe slip in to the darkness of the trees never to be seen again.
I prayed again for all the souls. I cried softly for everyone. I prayed again. I will never forget September 11. It is a day that has forever changed life and America as we knew it. From that day forward, everything previous was merely memories in history. America was now going to go down a new path, redirected by the actions of others.
Friday, September 11, 2015
Tuesday, February 10, 2015
PRAYERS FOR MY HUSBAND - ROB
A BLOG POST IN WOMEN IN TRUCKING ON 2/9/2015--- THEN ALL THE RESPONSES
Hey ladies....need prayers please. My husband is off the truck temporarily with high blood pressure issues. I will be running solo for a bit while he does the doctor thing. Prayers first for my hubby that he can get things back to normal. Prayers second for me that I have a safe journey while solo. I can do it....been solo before. Would just like the extra hands on us. Thank you.
Hey ladies....need prayers please. My husband is off the truck temporarily with high blood pressure issues. I will be running solo for a bit while he does the doctor thing. Prayers first for my hubby that he can get things back to normal. Prayers second for me that I have a safe journey while solo. I can do it....been solo before. Would just like the extra hands on us. Thank you.
BillieJo Olson You got it!!!
Lynda Bailey Prayers
Ron Jefferson Prayers! For the hubby, a weight loss of as little as 10 pounds can make a visible difference in BP. Black pepper is a great substitute for salt. No caffeine or chocolate until bp is where he needs it. Good luck to you both.Patricia Ethen Black You'll be fine...thoughts and positive energy sent your way!
Renee' Chadwick Sending positive energy to you both.
Joann Rollenhagen Good Luck to both of you!
Milly Edgerly Prayers ... you can do it!
Sandy Mages Prayers for you please be safe
Renee' Chadwick Sending positive energy to you both.
Joann Rollenhagen Good Luck to both of you!
Diane Farley Taylor Prayers
Rosalind Marie Holland Sending prayers, you got this!
Kat Barker Prayers from Ohio
Sherry Bell Sending positive prayers to you both
Alyson AndTommie Lane
Aimee Mccall Prayers for you.
Angie Cupp prayers
Nancy Woebke You have my prayers.
Teresa Maxwell Prayers!
Evelyn Lewis Praying right now.
Debra Blackney-Colbert Prayers and blessings
Jody Anderson prayers going up!
Beth Gabrielson Praying for you both.
Janet Vinduska Prayers
Herlinda Robledo-giles Prayers for you and your husband
Jan Dewey I pray for each of you all. My children and all truck drivers every night.
Jennifer Northen Holmes Prayers for your husband and yourself! !!!
Linda Brown Amen sister I will ask god to give you a covering, you can do it!!!!
Susie Contreras Czerwinski Prayers
Laura Martin Prayers said for both of u
Pat Rider Prayers to u both
Jenni Reynolds-Kebler Thank you so much everyone for the out pouring of support and prayers. Where two or more are gathered in his name and agree, you shall be heard. I will keep everyone posted over the next few days. Rob goes to doc again in the morning. I leave out on Wednesday.
Roseanna Zounar God bless you and youe husband in this stressful time.
Kim Underwood Pearce Prayers sent
Bobbie McWaters
Judith Mayatte Prayer said! Take care,drive safe.
Gray Wolf Sending prayers to you and hubby y'all be safe
Antoinette McIntosh
Jamie Rousey Hardison Prayers for you, and your husband for the blood pressure issue to stabilize so he can join you out on the road..
Kat Comstock Wallace You will do great!
Stephanie Reed Talpas Prayers are being sent!
Rhonda A Stanford Praying for you both
Rebecca Griffin I will keep u in my heart and prayers. I went solo when my husband was recovering from a crushed heel. Loved it but was lonesome. Be safe friend
Tommie Oneil You got the prayers coming your way.
Richard Nunn Done and done. Be safe out there and for your husband. Relax and take control.
Priscilla Sherman Pulling for you. Blood pressure issues plague many truck drivers.
Betty Brown Morrow Prayers for you both.that blood pressure thing is not something to play with.i battle it everyday.praying that his dr can fix him rite up so he can get back out there with you.I was solo and know how lonesome it can be
Nancy Wydeck Prayers to you both
Barbara Smith Prayers for both of you
Dee Dee Murrell prayers for both
Deborah Perkins-Lindsey Prayers for u two
Diane Burcham God be with you both!
Vickie Cochran My prayers for you both
Betty Harmes You gotit
Denise Killcrease Prayers
Colleen Marie McDonald prayers sent your way for both of you! Suggest to hubby he drinks cucumber juice and takes Vit C. Best of luck!
Crystal Boyles prayers hunny
L.a. Wilson Diffee Praying for u both
Mary L. Kenneett Prayers for both of You....GOD BLESS
Sally Mcley Praying for your husband and also praying for you.
Sandi Barnett Sending Prayers To Both Of U..Jenni n Robert (Hugs)
Danielle Blessing Sending prayers to the both of you. Both of you be safe either on the road or at home.
Roxie Farr Prayers
Jenni Reynolds-Kebler UPDATE-------I would just like to thank everyone for coming together like this. All of you are so special and awesome. Blessings on everyone for looking out for your fellow drivers. You have brought tears to both mine and my husbands eyes and melted our hearts.
The update is, he went to Urgent Care. His BP was extremely elevated. They also found that he had pretty bad infection in his throat. Strep was ruled out, but he was still put on atibiotics. He was also put on HBP medication, but has a doctors appointment on Friday to follow up on everything. I will still need to go out on the road on my own, but that's okay. It's what needs to be done for now.
We have also done a lot of research and educated ourselves on High Blood Pressure and what we can actively do to help lower it. As a result, we found some awesome foods that help to not only lower Blood Pressure, but help to reverse the arterial plaque that can lead to heart attacks, strokes or worse. We will be incorporating these foods in to our daily diets, along with exercise.
My husband has had a rude awakening. I am taking this warning right along with him and I will do everything right along beside him to not only help get him healthier, but also to get myself healthier. It won't hurt either of us to change our ways.
This was truly a wake up call. We have learned that as we get older, we can't stop the clock of aging, but we can slow the clock down on adverse health conditions if we just pay attention to what we do and eat.
Thank you everyone for all of your prayers, thoughts and support. Every prayer has been heard and is being answered still as we gain strength in our health and our love for our Lord Jesus. We love each and every one of you. Prayers of thanks bestowed upon each and every one of our team members here.
Jenni Reynolds-Kebler Prayers to you, Bonna.
The update is, he went to Urgent Care. His BP was extremely elevated. They also found that he had pretty bad infection in his throat. Strep was ruled out, but he was still put on atibiotics. He was also put on HBP medication, but has a doctors appointment on Friday to follow up on everything. I will still need to go out on the road on my own, but that's okay. It's what needs to be done for now.
We have also done a lot of research and educated ourselves on High Blood Pressure and what we can actively do to help lower it. As a result, we found some awesome foods that help to not only lower Blood Pressure, but help to reverse the arterial plaque that can lead to heart attacks, strokes or worse. We will be incorporating these foods in to our daily diets, along with exercise.
My husband has had a rude awakening. I am taking this warning right along with him and I will do everything right along beside him to not only help get him healthier, but also to get myself healthier. It won't hurt either of us to change our ways.
This was truly a wake up call. We have learned that as we get older, we can't stop the clock of aging, but we can slow the clock down on adverse health conditions if we just pay attention to what we do and eat.
Thank you everyone for all of your prayers, thoughts and support. Every prayer has been heard and is being answered still as we gain strength in our health and our love for our Lord Jesus. We love each and every one of you. Prayers of thanks bestowed upon each and every one of our team members here.
Patricia A Funk Yes!
Dawn E Mowry Prayers sent!
Bonna Bendure Prayers going up. My husband and I are in the same boat Kind of. I'm the one home doing the Dr thing because of sugar and he's solo. So we need prayers too. Good bless!
Joanne Fatta Blessings and praywr
Ann Scarborough
Tammy Brooks Prayers going up for the both of you !
Kim Grimm Sending prayers! They really do help and more is better!
Kim Grimm Sending prayers! They really do help and more is better!
Friday, September 12, 2014
I WILL NEVER LEAVE YOU NOR FORSAKE YOU
Daddy was working at the restaurant (Rodeway Inn....Elegant Bull) on HIlltop Drive. I went out to the rodeo grounds on a Saturday. It was the summer between 7th and 8th grade. Mom told me, "go there and no where else." I simply told her okay with all intentions of following her rules.
I went to the rodeo grounds, took care of the two horses that I privately adopted, Sugar and Pepper. Then as I rode my ten-speed away from there, I decided to detour to the restaurant. I wanted to see my Daddy. He worked so many hours that we didn't get to see him much. He'd be gone for work before we'd wake up and home from work after we'd gone to bed many times. It was always just Mom and us kids.
So, I rode out to the restaurant. Forgetting the rule that Mom had set on me before I left the house. I wanted to see Daddy.
I arrived the restaurant, but Dad wasn't there. One of their cooks, Mickey, was there. He said, "your Dad isn't here. I think he went home for lunch." Okay, you'd think the bells and light bulbs would have gone off in my head. "Go home to see Daddy." Nope, I was set on seeing him and I knew that I could see him at his work. So, there I stayed.
Mickey made a nice lobster for me to eat since he said that it would probably be a little while before he came back to work.
Dad returned. He saw me. He looked surprised. "You'd better call your Mother," he said. "She thought you were going to be home this afternoon." I felt that feeling of anxiety go through my body like a shivering shock that lasted for what seemed to be an eternity.
I called home. Moms words turned up the volume of that anxiety. "You had better get home right now young lady. And if you don't come straight home, you'll be in the worse trouble than you have ever been." I was shaking to near tears.
I get on my green Schwinn bicycle. The one that I bought with my own money earned from delivering newspapers. The bike cost me $100. That was a lot of money for a kid back in 1975.
I rode my bike to the end of Hilltop and Cypress avenue. I looked right towards home. Then I looked left and saw Mount Lassen in the distance. I sat there for a few moment looking left and right...shaking at the thought "I'd be in the worse trouble I'd ever been in," repeating in my head. I didn't want to be in trouble....I didn't want the painful spanking. So, I put my feet on the pedals and turned the bike left. Towards Mount Lassen.
I rode out past Palo Cedro. Through the "whoop-di-doo's" and on down the road to an unknown destination. All I knew is that I was headed towards Mount Lassen. I also knew that somewhere out in that area was where Bethel Church had their summer camp, and it was coming up in a few weeks. I had been there before and they had some awesome wooden cabins. I could stay in one of them until the camp started. There was a little river just outside of the camp that was loaded with trout that Stephen and I would catch by hand and whack the fish on the rocks so that Mom and Dad would be proud of their "Indian Fish Hunters."
What I didn't know was, Mineral was on a different highway than the one that I had chosen to ride on. I just rode towards the mountain.
It was getting late in the day. Since I wasn't wearing a watch, I didn't know really what time it was. I'd walk the bike...I'd ride it. I just kept going east, wondering by now where I was going to end up at for the night. Where was I going to sleep? What food would I eat? Never did I think that there were bears or wild cats out in the forest.
I was walking the bike along a wide portion of a dirt shoulder. An old yellow Volkswagen pulled up behind me. Those "slug-bug" type. It was an older man. Older to me at the time. Thinking about it now, he was probably no older than 30ish.
He asked me, "Where are you going?"
I quickly thought about his question and blurted out an answer.
"Um, my parents are camping at Lake McCumber. They needed supplies and sent me out to get them." Not realizing that I had no evidence of any supplies retrieved with me.
The man asked if he could help me by taking me to the camp since it would be getting dark soon. I accepted his offer. No fear at all as to the possibilities behind my choices.
He drove down the road. I don't remember much conversation at all. He turned down the road to the camp. I asked him to drop me off on the road since I didn't want my parents to get mad that I had ridden with a stranger. The man agreed and gladly stopped his car, took my bike off the bike rack on his car and let me go off to my intended destination.
I rode in to the camp. It was actually quite full. It was also very dark outside. I was thankful for my ride that I had gotten from that man.
I walk up to a camp space. It was an older man and woman. I simply ask them if I could stay with them tonight.
"Where is your family?" the woman asks.
"Oh, they will be here soon. I left early and they are coming in probably later." I tell them. One story on top of the other.
I look around their camp. They had warm, fluffy and cozy looking sleeping bags in their tent. I was getting so tired and I wanted to curl up in one of those so much.
"I'm sorry, we just don't have the room." the lady says.
I smiled and thanked them and turned my bike away from them in search of the next inviting looking camp spot.
One camp had a large deer hanging from a tree. Many large men were laughing and drinking around the campfire. They didn't notice me, so I just walked on.
After a few camps, I come across a group of senior citizens. They are in two campers and one tent. They are laughing and having fun. They all seemed nice. I walked in between the two campers that were backed up to each other. They notice me and take me by the arm.
"What are you doing here, honey?" one little lady asks me.
"Oh, I'm waiting for my family to show up," I repeat my story from earlier. It seemed to work, so I went with it.
"Are you hungry?" another asks.
"Yes," I tell them, trying not to show that my last meal was actually lunch earlier at my Daddy restaurant and after a long day, I was starving.
They give me a sandwich and I eat it slowly to savor the taste of it. They offer me some soda and before I knew it, I was laughing right along with them. It was going to be a good place to stay.
The joyful camp had some new visitors join in. It was the older couple from the first camp that I stopped at. The woman looked kind of angry yet concerned towards me.
"Young lady," she said, "come here a moment."
I get up slowly knowing that I was in trouble now. They take me and my bike to their camp. I didn't even get to thank the senior citizens for their sandwich and soda. I was just whisked away to see their camp disappear in the darkness behind me.
We arrive at the older couples camp. They had a sleeping bag open in their tent. The man said that I could sleep in there since I was probably exhausted. "How nice," I thought. The people were going to help me.
Then the woman came up to me and said, "I am sure that you have run away. I know that you have parents at home that are worried sick about you and your whereabouts. We both work with Search and Rescue and we are going to contact your parents." She said as she stood over me while I climbed slowly in to the sleeping bag.
"I want you to give me your parents phone number. I need to go to the KOA campground down the road because they are the only ones that have a payphone. So, the phone number you give me had better be right. If it isn't, you'll be in the worse trouble you have ever been in."
I shook terribly when I heard those words. Words that had now been repeated to me. First by my Mom, then by this woman.
She left, I crawled in to the sleeping bag while the man stayed outside at the picnic table. I don't remember him saying much at all while she was gone...just that I had drifted off to sleep and dreamed and hoped that Daddy would come pick me up and not Mom. I knew that if Dad picked me up, it would be a conversation that could be tolerable. If Mom picked me up, I would probably be dead before I got home.
Well, time slipped by since I was asleep most of the time. I could hear voices outside the tent. Then I heard a familiar voice. It was Daddy. He came out to get me. I was so happy. He put my bike in the van and we went home. Silence. Not much was said at all. Just that when we got on to Jay Street he told me, "I told Mom not to come down hard on you." I cried silently knowing that what I had done was wrong.
We got home and walked in the front door. Mom stood at the end of the hall at the end of the fireplace. Her arms were crossed. She looked like a giant as she tapped her fingers on her elbow. The scowl on her face made me feel like the walk through the hall took forever.
Mom simply said to me, "God was with you this time. He may not be with you next time."
I slipped past her to my bedroom at the right. I crawled in to bed and quietly sobbed in my pillow. I wished that I had turned right at Hilltop instead of left. I was happy to be home in my own bed and not a strangers. I was glad that I could eat food at my own table instead of having to catch fish in a stream and figuring out how to cook them. I told myself that I would never get in to trouble again.
A few days had gone by. The summer camp was coming upon us. Mom and Dad said that they would still allow me to go to camp since they had already arranged it for me to go. I was surprised that they'd let me go. That privilege didn't come without consequences, though. I was grounded while at home prior to and after the camp for a time that I can't remember right now. I just remember that is was a lifetime to me. But, I still got to go to camp.
A true lesson that I learned at camp was during our art class where we got to paint ceramic pictures and signs. I chose one that seemed to shine brighter than all of the other ceramic figures on the table to choose from. It was a scripture from the Bible. It later became one of my most favorite scriptures.
It said, "I Will Never Leave You Nor Forsake You. James 1:5" I painted the flowers a pretty red. The letter a bright blue and the background a light green. My little sign stayed with me for years later after that. However, I learned that God WAS with me during my time of running away, and that he WOULD be with me no matter what. What I didn't do was test that theory again. After that ordeal, I never ran away again. I wanted to be with Mom and Dad no matter how much trouble I got in to, because I was a kid. I wanted them to teach me how to be a better person, how to be a better adult.
Mom and I have talked about this freely later on in my adult years. She understood the reason why I did what I did. She knew that Daddy had put in many long hours at work and all I wanted to do was see him. Mom knew that she was the disciplinarian in the family...the strong arm of us kids. But in the end, Mom had more love to share with all of us than any of us could comprehend. Love that would last beyond her years.
Mom is still our rock...even after she is gone. Through God our Father and his strength, our love for our Mother is still strong with love.
We love you.
I went to the rodeo grounds, took care of the two horses that I privately adopted, Sugar and Pepper. Then as I rode my ten-speed away from there, I decided to detour to the restaurant. I wanted to see my Daddy. He worked so many hours that we didn't get to see him much. He'd be gone for work before we'd wake up and home from work after we'd gone to bed many times. It was always just Mom and us kids.
So, I rode out to the restaurant. Forgetting the rule that Mom had set on me before I left the house. I wanted to see Daddy.
I arrived the restaurant, but Dad wasn't there. One of their cooks, Mickey, was there. He said, "your Dad isn't here. I think he went home for lunch." Okay, you'd think the bells and light bulbs would have gone off in my head. "Go home to see Daddy." Nope, I was set on seeing him and I knew that I could see him at his work. So, there I stayed.
Mickey made a nice lobster for me to eat since he said that it would probably be a little while before he came back to work.
Dad returned. He saw me. He looked surprised. "You'd better call your Mother," he said. "She thought you were going to be home this afternoon." I felt that feeling of anxiety go through my body like a shivering shock that lasted for what seemed to be an eternity.
I called home. Moms words turned up the volume of that anxiety. "You had better get home right now young lady. And if you don't come straight home, you'll be in the worse trouble than you have ever been." I was shaking to near tears.
I get on my green Schwinn bicycle. The one that I bought with my own money earned from delivering newspapers. The bike cost me $100. That was a lot of money for a kid back in 1975.
I rode my bike to the end of Hilltop and Cypress avenue. I looked right towards home. Then I looked left and saw Mount Lassen in the distance. I sat there for a few moment looking left and right...shaking at the thought "I'd be in the worse trouble I'd ever been in," repeating in my head. I didn't want to be in trouble....I didn't want the painful spanking. So, I put my feet on the pedals and turned the bike left. Towards Mount Lassen.
I rode out past Palo Cedro. Through the "whoop-di-doo's" and on down the road to an unknown destination. All I knew is that I was headed towards Mount Lassen. I also knew that somewhere out in that area was where Bethel Church had their summer camp, and it was coming up in a few weeks. I had been there before and they had some awesome wooden cabins. I could stay in one of them until the camp started. There was a little river just outside of the camp that was loaded with trout that Stephen and I would catch by hand and whack the fish on the rocks so that Mom and Dad would be proud of their "Indian Fish Hunters."
What I didn't know was, Mineral was on a different highway than the one that I had chosen to ride on. I just rode towards the mountain.
It was getting late in the day. Since I wasn't wearing a watch, I didn't know really what time it was. I'd walk the bike...I'd ride it. I just kept going east, wondering by now where I was going to end up at for the night. Where was I going to sleep? What food would I eat? Never did I think that there were bears or wild cats out in the forest.
I was walking the bike along a wide portion of a dirt shoulder. An old yellow Volkswagen pulled up behind me. Those "slug-bug" type. It was an older man. Older to me at the time. Thinking about it now, he was probably no older than 30ish.
He asked me, "Where are you going?"
I quickly thought about his question and blurted out an answer.
"Um, my parents are camping at Lake McCumber. They needed supplies and sent me out to get them." Not realizing that I had no evidence of any supplies retrieved with me.
The man asked if he could help me by taking me to the camp since it would be getting dark soon. I accepted his offer. No fear at all as to the possibilities behind my choices.
He drove down the road. I don't remember much conversation at all. He turned down the road to the camp. I asked him to drop me off on the road since I didn't want my parents to get mad that I had ridden with a stranger. The man agreed and gladly stopped his car, took my bike off the bike rack on his car and let me go off to my intended destination.
I rode in to the camp. It was actually quite full. It was also very dark outside. I was thankful for my ride that I had gotten from that man.
I walk up to a camp space. It was an older man and woman. I simply ask them if I could stay with them tonight.
"Where is your family?" the woman asks.
"Oh, they will be here soon. I left early and they are coming in probably later." I tell them. One story on top of the other.
I look around their camp. They had warm, fluffy and cozy looking sleeping bags in their tent. I was getting so tired and I wanted to curl up in one of those so much.
"I'm sorry, we just don't have the room." the lady says.
I smiled and thanked them and turned my bike away from them in search of the next inviting looking camp spot.
One camp had a large deer hanging from a tree. Many large men were laughing and drinking around the campfire. They didn't notice me, so I just walked on.
After a few camps, I come across a group of senior citizens. They are in two campers and one tent. They are laughing and having fun. They all seemed nice. I walked in between the two campers that were backed up to each other. They notice me and take me by the arm.
"What are you doing here, honey?" one little lady asks me.
"Oh, I'm waiting for my family to show up," I repeat my story from earlier. It seemed to work, so I went with it.
"Are you hungry?" another asks.
"Yes," I tell them, trying not to show that my last meal was actually lunch earlier at my Daddy restaurant and after a long day, I was starving.
They give me a sandwich and I eat it slowly to savor the taste of it. They offer me some soda and before I knew it, I was laughing right along with them. It was going to be a good place to stay.
The joyful camp had some new visitors join in. It was the older couple from the first camp that I stopped at. The woman looked kind of angry yet concerned towards me.
"Young lady," she said, "come here a moment."
I get up slowly knowing that I was in trouble now. They take me and my bike to their camp. I didn't even get to thank the senior citizens for their sandwich and soda. I was just whisked away to see their camp disappear in the darkness behind me.
We arrive at the older couples camp. They had a sleeping bag open in their tent. The man said that I could sleep in there since I was probably exhausted. "How nice," I thought. The people were going to help me.
Then the woman came up to me and said, "I am sure that you have run away. I know that you have parents at home that are worried sick about you and your whereabouts. We both work with Search and Rescue and we are going to contact your parents." She said as she stood over me while I climbed slowly in to the sleeping bag.
"I want you to give me your parents phone number. I need to go to the KOA campground down the road because they are the only ones that have a payphone. So, the phone number you give me had better be right. If it isn't, you'll be in the worse trouble you have ever been in."
I shook terribly when I heard those words. Words that had now been repeated to me. First by my Mom, then by this woman.
She left, I crawled in to the sleeping bag while the man stayed outside at the picnic table. I don't remember him saying much at all while she was gone...just that I had drifted off to sleep and dreamed and hoped that Daddy would come pick me up and not Mom. I knew that if Dad picked me up, it would be a conversation that could be tolerable. If Mom picked me up, I would probably be dead before I got home.
Well, time slipped by since I was asleep most of the time. I could hear voices outside the tent. Then I heard a familiar voice. It was Daddy. He came out to get me. I was so happy. He put my bike in the van and we went home. Silence. Not much was said at all. Just that when we got on to Jay Street he told me, "I told Mom not to come down hard on you." I cried silently knowing that what I had done was wrong.
We got home and walked in the front door. Mom stood at the end of the hall at the end of the fireplace. Her arms were crossed. She looked like a giant as she tapped her fingers on her elbow. The scowl on her face made me feel like the walk through the hall took forever.
Mom simply said to me, "God was with you this time. He may not be with you next time."
I slipped past her to my bedroom at the right. I crawled in to bed and quietly sobbed in my pillow. I wished that I had turned right at Hilltop instead of left. I was happy to be home in my own bed and not a strangers. I was glad that I could eat food at my own table instead of having to catch fish in a stream and figuring out how to cook them. I told myself that I would never get in to trouble again.
A few days had gone by. The summer camp was coming upon us. Mom and Dad said that they would still allow me to go to camp since they had already arranged it for me to go. I was surprised that they'd let me go. That privilege didn't come without consequences, though. I was grounded while at home prior to and after the camp for a time that I can't remember right now. I just remember that is was a lifetime to me. But, I still got to go to camp.
A true lesson that I learned at camp was during our art class where we got to paint ceramic pictures and signs. I chose one that seemed to shine brighter than all of the other ceramic figures on the table to choose from. It was a scripture from the Bible. It later became one of my most favorite scriptures.
It said, "I Will Never Leave You Nor Forsake You. James 1:5" I painted the flowers a pretty red. The letter a bright blue and the background a light green. My little sign stayed with me for years later after that. However, I learned that God WAS with me during my time of running away, and that he WOULD be with me no matter what. What I didn't do was test that theory again. After that ordeal, I never ran away again. I wanted to be with Mom and Dad no matter how much trouble I got in to, because I was a kid. I wanted them to teach me how to be a better person, how to be a better adult.
Mom and I have talked about this freely later on in my adult years. She understood the reason why I did what I did. She knew that Daddy had put in many long hours at work and all I wanted to do was see him. Mom knew that she was the disciplinarian in the family...the strong arm of us kids. But in the end, Mom had more love to share with all of us than any of us could comprehend. Love that would last beyond her years.
Mom is still our rock...even after she is gone. Through God our Father and his strength, our love for our Mother is still strong with love.
We love you.
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