Filling the Love Cup

March was a high intensity month at work. I was really longing to feel the connection of family and some love in my life. So on Thursday night I decided to see if I could get on a flight to Oregon for the weekend. I didn't tell anybody (mom, dad, brother) I was coming because I was flying standby and was hoping to keep it as simple as possible. The angels were on my side, I got the last seat on an overbooked flight, texted my brother so he knew I was coming. Aubrey and I had a much needed reconnection of hearts and minds over dinner at McMinnimums Kennedy School in north Portland. I crashed on his couch. The next morning we watched cartoons and I called mom and dad.

Drove down to Corvallis to pickup mom, we grabbed some groceries and headed out to the ranch where we visited with my aunt Sandy for the afternoon. Later I went on a glorious run up Shingle Creek road for 40 minutes. To give you an idea of how rural the area is where I grew up, not a single car passed in that time running on the dirt road. I ran by sheep and cow pastures, homesteads, an old orchard I used to climb apple trees in now mossy and falling down, the last beautiful stretch before I turned around the road zigzagged through tall douglas fir trees. I was so inspired by the glory of mother nature I stopped to hug a tree that was broader in diameter than the full stretch of my arms!

Dad had been on a road trip with his sister Connie in eastern Oregon (thank god for cell phones) so he came home a day early, arriving at midnight Saturday so that we could spend the day together Sunday.

Feeling especially grateful for the love of my family, their warmth, acceptance and presence. My love cup was refilled from our time together.