Sobering

I got the sweetest message in my Facebook from Tiffany today asking if I was okay.  I can't tell you how much it warmed my heart, that someone I've never met - and only know through my blogging community (just like Sara) - knows me well enough to sense if something might be off and cares enough to ask.

We are home now.  I have enough fodder for a final full day blog post about our fun in Sunriver.  I'll get around to that when I can get the computer and the camera for an extended period of time.  By far and away, we had the best weather/snow amount ever - which makes all the difference in truly feeling like you've escaped to a winter wonderland.  It was a very happy vacation -

A few things sobered us on our final day, though -

1)  Poor Whitley got sick.  She was up though most of Saturday night and only found comfort when she was held by Steph.  Consequently, they left a day early so they could be on "their own turf" when trying to comfort and care for their baby.  Anyone who's ever had a baby that's sick knows how hard it is, but just how much more stressful when you are in a new environment and self-conscious of the baby's crying keeping everyone up (which, for the record, it did not).  As of yesterday, she's feeling better, just sniffles to report. 

2) I got sick.  My headache began as a dull thud the night before we left - so I was hopeful a heating pad overnight would do the trick.  But, then that changed to ice on the couch in the middle of the night - and my full arsenal of pain killers upon waking.  None of it worked.  Eventually, I ended up in the hot tub, having dunked my head in the water so the below freezing temps would freeze my hair, to keep my head "on ice" for about 4 hours while the rest of the family faithfully packed up the house without any help from me.  (Michele nicely mentioned that it's about time I lose out on a "sucky part of life" due to my headaches vs. always missing out on the fun stuff!).  By the time we left, I was throwing up, relying on my daughter to dress me, and perfectly still on pillows for the roadtrip home.  Good times!!!!  Fortunately, and blessedly, by the time we got home, the worst had passed and I was functioning again as a semi-human being.  It's a good thing too, as very sadly, my mom was dealing with a similar scenario herself with tremendous neck pain.  Thankfully, she's now feeling better too...

3)  A friend of ours lost her brother.  Lisa S. - who you'll see in the Glory Days Post from a couple weeks ago, lost her brother to altitude sickness when he was climbing at 22,000 feet in Argentina.  It wasn't determined that he'd died until our return trip on Monday - as of Sunday, it was known that he was still on the mountain, sick and alone, as two of his buddies had returned to camp for help.  One of the buddies died as well from the same sickness.  My heart aches for their family....

So, that's all quite a reality check.   It made my desire to put up my final vacation blog post seem a little trivial.  Three years ago, we got a similar phone call/text on perhaps the same day on the calendar of another friend's brother-in-law passing away.  While vacations and "favorite days of our lives" happen, other folks are experiencing those days that will forever be marked as one of /the worst of their lives. 

Again, I can't imagine going through such seemingly helpless circumstances without the comfort of a Savior who's been through all of this pain and took it all upon Himself to give us the promise of a life everlasting free from this despair.