Oh, that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and be at rest… (Psalm 55:6)
In the summer of 2014, we were still reeling with the shock and sadness of Joe’s terminal cancer diagnosis. Our days were spent scheduling radiation treatments, starting chemo, trying to relieve side effects, dealing with rapidly advancing disabilities, figuring out optimal nutrition and supplements, going to rehab appointments and doing rehab at home…
In the midst of this, our friend Jerry Hetrick felt compelled to raise money to send us on a family vacation. I think he felt it would be good for us to get away to process our new situation and to just relax and enjoy each other as a family. We were deeply touched by his compassionate idea and by the immediate participation of many of our friends and family members.
We got the go-ahead from the doctors and started planning. We had such fun discussing the possibilities and quickly determined our two main priorities:
1. No airports
2. Good sunsets
When we found a house for rent online that was right on the beach, with two full walls of glass facing south and west, we knew we had found our home-for-a-week in Morro Bay, California.
We spent a pleasant week in October playing on the beach, exploring the town (and the charming neighboring town of Cayucos), sitting on our ocean-facing patio playing music, and enjoying many lovely sunsets. We returned home refreshed and rested. This thoughtful and generous gift provided well-timed comfort for us, as well as lasting memories.
As I look back on those memories, I realize that the Morro Bay trip was one of many events that buoyed us on our difficult and at times frightening journey. There were other gifts of love and mercy all along the way—too many to mention here, but I plan to write about some of them in future posts.
So thank you, Jerry, for not only thinking about a nice idea, but for acting on it. And thank you to everyone who helped send us on that refreshing get-away. You made a difference.
