After two and a half days of continued emersion in painting, laughter, study, and wine, I’m back. There were five of us girls and a delightful straggler who was asked to join us. I had never done too much plein aire but was willing to give it a try. The others were trained and serious. Trust me, I did my best to unravel their training and they did their best to train me. “The rules”....to follow or not to follow...THAT is the question. The funniest part was when we all created magic birds out of old paint laid onto scrap mat board. Old birds and old wine..what a combination! The home where we stayed was warm, historic, cozy and filled with art. So were the girls. (accept we’re not that historic! Ha!)
On the ride back, I called Katie to see how she was doing and she told me that Jerry was having a bad morning. This was the first time she actually had to dress him and undress him and get him into the shower. It was the first time, she had to tell him to wash the stinky parts. Her day before had been great, she said, because he was so excited to see her. They went to the aquarium and he was able to play with baby Charlie. But this particular morning, while she was helping him dress, baby Charlie fell, busted his lip and broke his front tooth. Poor Katie. Not so easy handling her dad and an 16 month old at the same time. Thank heavens Charlie’s dad is a pediatric dentist so he knew just what to do to save that tooth. Also, thank heavens I had backup plans with Robert.
Robert was bringing Jerry to meet me in Wilmington. He was gracious and accommodating, willing to wait on me to “have my day”. We were to meet at the base of the Wilmington bridge in a Burger King parking lot. He had gotten Jerry some ice cream while they waited. I wasn’t driving because I’ve been a little scattered lately. As Rose drove up into the parking lot, she pulled next to Robert’s tan truck. Jerry’s face looked like a possum grinin’ the moment he saw me. His soulful blue eyes sparkled with anticipation as he slowly began to move forward in his seat and his expression thrilled me with warm fuzzies.
You know, this time away and the reunion, taught me a lot. I reflected this morning as I watched Jerry sleeping. I’m beginning to see what it takes to have enduring love. It doesn’t come easy. It develops over years of trials and the overcoming of those trials. The fact that love is not all about the “la-la’s” in life. .. . more than the lusts and laughters. It’ transcends those things and accepts to the core.
“if I have all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I deliver my body to be burned, but do no have love, it profits me nothing. Love is patient, love is kind, and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrongs suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.” I Corinthians 13
This continuing journey for us is a treasure of it’s own with rewards of unfathomable riches. I’m thankful to have been able to sustain it so far and pray that I will have the strength to continue to the end.