805 Blonde & 805 Cerveza w/Lime; Mind Haze IPA; Hard Cider. All were on tap at the pool bar! There were many days, years really, where that was part of my solution to try to live life. Then, Something mysterious happened. In the fog of self-pity, shame & despair, I couldn’t see what a gift my 24-Hour chip was. I thought it was the end. It was; the end of the phase of living on self-reliance, boosted by chemical solutions chasing illusions of grandeur.
Today, The Blessing grows more and more. We opted for a coffee and juice and began our 3-mile walk to the restaurant at the end of Sterns Wharf, highly suggested by a friend. It was amazing!
Sitting down at a table on the edge, we watched the sailboats and paddle boarders on the crystal blue water. We knew how we got there - God's Grace, inspired efforts, and lot's of help from others.
Receiving calls and photos from friends in Maui, San Clemente, and texts from my family in Phoenix & Spain I was filled with gratitude. Gail received texts from her family in Toronto, and friends from Phoenix, as we watched a sailing class practice dipping their sails!
The day flew by and we ended up at the 8pm Speaker Mtg. in Santa Barbara. Over 100 people were there; the speaker, Jennifer, was half Jewish, half Mexican from the Pacific Group and mentioned names I’d heard over the years. From a life filled with anxiety, despair, insanity & shame to a respected professional woman, her message was God’s grace & hope.
She said, “if you’re new, please come all the way in; sit all the way down in your seat.” Wow. You told me to fasten my seat belt, that it’s a hell of a ride. That’s a good thing, because I don’t have a parachute, and today, I can’t jump out of the plane of life.
Thanks for my seat, a seatbelt, a long leash and phone numbers. It’s been such an amazing journey; thanks for encouraging me to keep sailing, riding the waves into better adventures.
