Many Miles and Small Steps

A little over a month ago we received a surprise phone call from our dear friends Bease and Putt (known to the secular world as Karen and Warren) that they were going to be married in a week in Chicago. Hal and I surprised them by booking a flight and getting on a plane two days later so that we could be there for the wonderful ceremony and celebration, in the same church where Hal and I were married 33 years ago.

I wasn’t sure we should make such a last-minute trip, but thankfully Chuck convinced us that we should be there for special friends and a special occasion. Not only were we there for the lifetime experience of such great friends, but the trip also yielded more surprises.

We were able to get together with all eight of the Chicago Halvorson family, which is difficult to do even with advance planning given their busy schedules; our wonderful friends Blythe and Mark who travel all parts of the world were going to be in Chicago that weekend and we had a marvelous reunion at their lovely place overlooking Millennium Park; and we were able to orchestrate a stop in Seattle to have dinner with Chuck and Jenny, Max and Christine that resulted in an unplanned additional second day as well, which also enabled me to meet Christine’s terrific parents for the first time.

All in a period of less than seven days.

I was in the hospital for seven days two years ago, not nearly as fun although it did yield some fantastic results. I recently happened to be in the hospital building and took a quick visit to the floor where I had stayed. I retraced the steps that I walked from my room the first day after surgery. It was a pretty short 30 steps.

I must have looked suspicious walking aimlessly yet deliberately because Madelyn the charge nurse came up to me to see if I needed help or directions. When I sheepishly told her I was reliving my hospital stay, she smiled and proceeded to tell me that the length of the hallway was 150 feet, which was my longest distance walk before I was discharged. When I told her about my health experience, she said I had come a long way.

Great trips long and short.