“Kyoto, Japan – Geisha Mamechiho”
Our youngest daughter is leaving for a week-long enrichment trip to Japan with her schoolmates. Two teachers, a priest, and a female teacher are heading up the excursion.
It will be a first for the school that annually sends students abroad and around the world, as well as to local hideaways.
Our daughter is the only freshman of 16 high school students participating in the trip to Japan.
I am nervous about her being so far away. It is her first time traveling abroad with out either me or her father.
To worsen matters, I somehow got it into my head the flight left SFO on Saturday not Friday, which left me with two nights to pack.
I did that only to discover this morning that I have misplaced my key to unlock the house.
On remembering that she had a Algebra tutoring session yesterday afternoon, but thirty minutes before the session, I was able to arrange for the tutor to pick our youngest up from the restaurant where we had ordered a bite to each.
On the tutor’s arrival I unhooked my key to the house and gave it to our youngest daughter. Fortunately and following my mind, I only gave her the key and not the entire ring that included the alarm lock to my SUV.
The house key is somewhere here in the house.
Our youngest gave it to me as I was frantically packing, thankful, once more that I listened to my mind and opened the e-mail from the priest heading the trip to Japan and began reading to gather last minute information that I did not want to miss and spoil our daughter’s trip.
Then is when I saw that we were to arrive at SFO on Friday morning, and not Saturday.
Whew!!! Talk about spoiling a trip.
The e-mail clearly stated, we cannot begin the boarding process until all 16 students have arrive.
I do not want to think of what I would have felt like receiving a call on Friday morning from Brother David at SFO asking where were.
I felt so vulnerable when going to bed last night, which was actually early this morning.
Despite all my planning and trying to be on top of things I almost made a big flubbing mistake.
I suppose this is why I pray. I am not telling or urging others to do the same.
I am only speaking of myself, and why I feel the need to call on a higher power.
I feel so weak at times like these, terribly pitiful.
I wonder if my mother felt this way.
She seemed so strong when I was a child.
Now as a mother myself and with three daughters, even with my husband–my father died leaving my mother a widow of two–I feel so inadequate at times.
I have yet to find the key as I write this blog post.
Last night, which was actually early this morning, I drifted to sleep thanking God and the universe, in my feeble way, for leading me to the discovery of my mistake before time to make correction.
My last thought before sleep overtook me was the ultimate acknowledgement that despite my worries and that I will miss our youngest daughter terribly, perhaps it is truly meant for her to make this trip.
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