We did a quick, 36-hour trip to Seattle to see the beauties.
We showed up at EJ's apartment around 1:00 pm and decided to walk to a coffee shop for lunch and then head to the locks. The botanical gardens there are amazing and fun to watch a fairly large tourist ship go through one of the locks. I took a video for one of my friend's son who loves anything related to transportation and large ships or trains.
We had the afternoon and evening with Kay and the future hubs. We went down to Gasworks and talked about the wedding plans and ceremony details. More sun and pleasantness with them both. Off the meet EJ and have dinner all together at Brouwers, one of our favs. We then headed back to the apartment and worked on some decorations for the wedding and watched old home movies of the kids when they were little.
Next day, Easter Sunday and we had breakfast with Jay's bio dad, all four of us. First time meeting him for the girls. We then went back to Kay's to process and do more fabric tying/decoration prep. Next, we had brunch with the new in-laws and then drove back home, just missing a storm in the mountains that closed the pass later that night.
*****
As we drove home Sunday, we both felt full of light on a resurrection weekend that celebrates new spiritual life, the life of Jesus, spring and anything else you want to throw in including historic spring rites and festivals. This was the first year we didn't do readings or go to church that I can remember, but we felt full.
We felt the joy of people who want to spend time together and understand the meaning of emotional intelligence and shared life. We felt buoyed by our simple life and the ease to just be happy to be together, eating, drinking and talking about good times of old. We felt warmed by new relationships that are forming as others are ending or transitioning.
I was encouraged that my pain had diminished, and I made an effort to do exercises while there. I am taking more responsibility for my health and realizing how much I can do to turn the tide. We had excellent talks on the road and feel we are slowly weaving our lives back together again after years apart.
Gasworks Park, Seattle, WA
CHANGES/REFLECTIONS:
- I can still change. "Not dead yet!"
- As I calm down especially in my mind, it's easier to be more relaxed around the kids and not have our time together be so intense and "meaningful"
- Redemption is happening all around and in me
- The more healthy I get, the less interest I have in digital reality, or the digital version of other people's reality. So, digital hygiene is more a byproduct of my overall increase in health in other areas. I'm not having to work at it much. I'm on IG much less, FB is deleted, just losing the desire and interest. I read something the other day that was along the lines of, "Do things that make you look at your phone less." Yep.