On December 9th, 2016 I took the last final of my educational career. I was pretty sure I passed the three classes that I needed to complete before The World Race, so I packed up my apartment and moved back to my parents house in Montana.
Update :: I officially passed those 3 classes and have officially graduated from Oregon State University, WHOOOO!
What a milestone! My conversations have been full of congratulations and celebrations, and it has been a joyful season. But after each conversation, I walk away and think to myself, I wish I could celebrate with Grammy and Papa. Or, what a fun time it would be if Luke and Cody were here.
Grammy and Papa are my grandparents from my Mom’s side of the family. Grammy passed away in 2012, and Papa passed away in 2015. Grammy missed both high school and college graduation, and Papa missed my college graduation. Luke and Cody were my best guy friends in high school. We had so much fun drinking too much RedBull, playing in the band, and running around town in a sort of mass hide and seek. Luke passed away in 2011, missing our senior year, and Cody passed away in 2013.
So, as I sit here in Month 0, the month before I start the next grand adventure of The World Race, there are many things I wish to say to them –
To my loved ones,
Grand celebrations have a hint of bitterness without you here. Don’t get me wrong, I am loving the life I have. It is full of joy, adventures, and sweet love from and for those around me. The celebrations are great and full of joy, but there is always a moment when I think what would you say? what would we be doing?
I just graduated college, completing a huge milestone, and had a grand celebration. I missed you dearly at my commencement ceremony. I honored your memory though, because you are important to me, and I know if you could celebrate with me, you would have.
Next in life, I’m off on a journey to love and serve people all over the world. The orphans, the enslaved, the persecuted, the sick, and the forgotten. I’m off to eleven countries to spread the love of Christ, and to show them that they are loved, worthy, and important. I’m off to serve them in any way I can. This year will be challenging, and it will be full of heartbreak. If I allow myself to love those I am about to meet as Christ is asking me to, which I hope I can, I will be faced with heart break after heartbreak month after month as we pack up and leave those we serve. The same heartbreak I experienced with each of you.
I know I can handle the heart break, because I’ve already walked through 4 of them. Four loved ones who I knew for years, and my heart broke with each loss. So, to you I say thank you. It wasn’t your choice to leave, but it was your choice to love me while you were here. Thank you for loving me well, and teaching me how to love others. Thank you for giving me strength, and wisdom in our time together. Thank you for the heartbreak, it has made me a stronger person, who is unafraid of the inherent heartbreak to come.
I often times wish you could be here now, even just to give me one more hug as I prepare to launch on this journey, but that is not in the cards of life. I’m okay with that, I’m excited none the less for this journey, and because of you guys I am even more prepared. I love you dearly.
-M
