To Everything, there is a Season...

To Everything, there is a Season...

This morning, we left our latest house/pet sit, in Nova Scotia and enjoyed the ferry crossing to Saint John, New Brunswick. 

The Ferry from Digby, N.S. to Saint John, N.B. 

Us on the deck with snowstorm in the background

After an overnight stop in Edmundston, we'll be heading for Quebec City tomorrow for two nights, spending some time with our treasured friends from Vermont, Eileen and Dick. 

Dick and Eileen - our Vermontian 'family'!

The following day, we’ll be setting out for Ottawa, to reconnect with John and Dianne, our friends from Elliot Lake – who put us on to this house/pet sitting adventure in the first place.

Dianne and John - dear friends from Elliot Lake

Our final sit of the year will be in Huntsville, Northern Ontario, over the Christmas period, before we return home just before New Years. We’re looking forward to meeting Phil and Heather, and their two dogs, Holly and Maya, and spending the Holidays in their new home.

This afternoon, while on the ferry, I was overwhelmed with a strong feeling of joy, and a sense of gratitude for the life we live. It really seems, at times, that we are on a continuous holiday, going from sit to sit, getting our animal fix, reuniting with friends, and meeting new ones. We both feel such appreciation for the amazing people who have come into our lives – new acquaintances that seem to become new friends so quickly, and those folks of longer standing, who have been supportive of us from the early years, including members of our own families.

The ‘crème de la crème’ for me is that I get to share this with the love and light of my life. Mark and I share so many ideals and dreams, and love traveling together. 

Mark is the love and light of my life!

We especially treasure the times when we are driving on a long journey, reminiscing about previous experiences, appreciating what we are seeing, hearing, and doing at the present time, and discussing possible plans for our future  – and our new car makes the experience even more enjoyable!

Our dream car - Toyota Rav 4! (We've had our eye on one of these for many years).

This feeling of extreme happiness was tinged with a little sadness as I realized that there are so many people out there who are not able to experience this joy for one reason or another. Momentarily, I felt a little guilty for being so happy, and I wish there was something I could do to help others experience the same exhilaration for life. 

Then I remembered the undying the words of the song, ‘Turn, Turn, Turn’…

“To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven…

…A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance.”

I remembered that, this time last year, things weren’t so rosy, as I faced some serious health issues; also, there have been times in my earlier life when it was difficult to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

We all have our challenges – some obvious, some hidden. Things happen which we didn’t bargain for, and these offer us an opportunity to appreciate the better times.

The philosophy that we have embraced teaches us to move, little by little, step by step, towards seeing the goodness in life and in the people around us. Spending time in nature, and drinking in its beauty, helps us to focus upon the positive, and to bring those negative moments into perspective. 

Our last view of the lighthouse at Point Prim, Digby, N.S.
(The light shining in the fog is symbolic for this article)

We drove until we found a pleasing view by which we could eat our lunch

Appreciating the clouds in the sky, and the surrounding rocks and trees on our journey

We don’t always succeed in doing this, but we never give up taking those little steps, encouraging one another when setbacks occur. It is not always easy, but we feel that, if we look for it, we will find a way to choose to focus on something that makes us feel a little better, and then a little better, until we have switched our attention to appreciation of what we have.  

Not always easy, but well worth making the effort

Life is not perfect, and will always offer contrast into our experience; but with practice, we can lift our spirits, negotiate the troughs, and ride the waves, once again.

I would like to share a very personal story.

When my dear beloved brother, Derek, became seriously ill, four years ago, I remember sitting alone with him at the kitchen table in his home. He was reading the newspaper and I reached over to him, touched his arm, and told him that, although we try to focus on the positive, I wanted him to know that I was heartbroken over what he was going through, and the inevitable outcome. His response to me was one that I will never forget. 

He told me that he understood how I felt, but that Mark and I should not put our lives on hold for him. He reminded me that he had lived his life, and he wanted us to do the same. I promised him that we would do just that – live life to the fullest – but that we would make adjustments, out of love, so that we could spend more time with him. 

I will always treasure that special moment in our relationship, when our hearts met and our watering eyes held each other in a gaze of mutual respect and admiration.

Me and my brother, Derek, when he visited us in Elliot Lake (May, 2014)

My beautiful brother, Derek. (R.I.P. March 19th, 2015)

Our philosophy teaches us that the best thing we can do for others is to give them the example of our own alignment so that, in witnessing our joy, they can be uplifted towards their own. 

We are constantly being reminded by our friends that they live vicariously through our adventures and that the pictures and comments we post on social media give them a feeling of well-being… and that makes us feel very humble and grateful for their kindness in sharing that with us.

We’d like to thank our family members, and all of our friends, both new and longer-standing, for continually supporting us and helping to make our lives even richer.