We left Waynesville on May 11 around 11 am. We had a short drive to our first stop because we knew we would be tired, both physically and emotionally. (Not sure you can tell, but I am crying in this photo.) When we arrived at our campsite, we learned that our dear friend and neighbor, Andy, had died earlier in the day. (More crying.)
The whole month leading up to our departure has been rough. My mother fell and at 98 was not able to recover from her injuries. She passed away on April 5. As per her wishes, we had a traditional viewing and funeral. It was an exhausting and emotional experience.
On April 30, I retired. Another emotional experience. The days leading up to our departure were busy with packing and cleaning the house for the long term renters, packing the camper and visiting with friends and neighbors. All that moving around after sitting at a desk for eleven years was extremely exhausting.
The Thursday before we left, we went to see Andy in the hospital. In late summer 2023, Andy was diagnosed with a glioblastoma, an incurable brain tumor. Our visit was short and emotional as he was close to death and was going into hospice care. We hated to leave his hospital room because we knew we would not be seeing him again.
So, I think you can see why when it came time to leave on May 11, I was crying. I was tapped out both physically and emotionally. I am not sure how I kept going.
Today as I write this post I think I know what has motivated me to take this trip and what kept me going when I was so depleted of energy and spirit. It was a gift that Andy unknowingly gave to me around the holidays of 2023. He was going through chemo and was struggling to keep his energy up. We never really talked about the eventuality of his death, but at one point in our holiday conversation he said, “Just do it now, don’t’ wait.”
