Sailing

In my life there are several constant places that are holy to me and I find myself going to them again and again. Athens, Georgia is where my Dad took me to football games and where I took my children. My son now lives there. My sister does too. Its hard not to love a place filled with memories, tradition and friends. I don't know how many times I've been to Athens but its in the hundreds. St. Martin of course is my home away from home. I've been to the island 21 times in the past several years. While I know my way around the place ... where to find the best croissants, lobster cooked over fire in a drum, even where the boats are sunk near the reef ... I have a tendency to stay at one end of Orient Beach. It became a sactuary for me through bad times and the site of many wonderful celebrations. It's also crowned with a wonderful set of friends! Tybee Island is home and remains the ultimate place of refuge for my soul. It's beauty continues to take my breath away daily on walks with Sarah, Goddess and Winston, the little gay dog. It's fun watching the girls discover the island and listen to them make plans to have their friends visit. I still enjoy watching friends visit and witness their excitment to be back on the island. I have a Carnival of Friends, countless opportunitites to celebrate, dolphins to run with and a wonderful home that keeps me anchored. It strikes me this morning that the Crowne Plaza hotel in Jacksonville, Florida is another. It used to be a Holiday Inn and I've been coming here for as long as I can remember, first for football games and then later to stay before jumping on an airplane to take me to the Caribbean. It's a jumping off place and a place to return to. It has a pool that is both indoor and outdoor, meaning you can swim through a wall to get in or out, a nice bar overlooking it, and a lot of glass that allos me to stare at Palm and Pine Trees. It's a big place though it rarely seems crowded. I've stayed here with my children, accompanied Bruce, Jodee and Ryan from the Breakfast Club here for a "Boy's Trip" and held Sarah's hand as we walked through the door for our first stay. And I've come here alone when I was sad, depressed and lonely because I needed to get away from the reminders of painful things. I don't know how many times I've been here but I have enough points that this stay is free. It was the last time Sarah and I stayed here too. There are enough award points for several more visits in the future. We are blessed with the gift of time right now. As a result, we've done a lot of traveling over the past few months. A cruise with The Carnival of Friends, a Honeymoon in Belize, Daytona Beach, St. Martin, and San Juan Island in Washington State. Today we're jumping on a cruise ship which is the last of the trips of this gift of time. Nothing else is planned for the year, though we'll make it back to Athens soon. The girls are excited as this is the first time they've ever done anything like this. They have no idea how large the ships are or the expanse of the ocean when you're on it. It is hard to not catch part of their enthusiasm. It keeps me young. Today there are no big plans, no deep thoughts and no funny stories. It is a time to count my blessings and I have many. My struggles and fears have been set aside for the moment. My love and best friend are building our mountain of memories. And today we sail to celebrate beginning with a silent prayer of Thanksgiving.