Impracticalities

“Not all who wander are lost…”  

J.R.R. Tolkien

It was impractical in every way.

Ridiculous in terms of time, energy, schedule, workload, and finance.

(Especially finance. Really, really dumb.)

But we did it anyway.

Because now, more than ever, we know that there are occasions when you have to be absolutely impractical. 

It is practically the most important thing you can do.

There’s an unsung hero in our family’s story. Someone who’s been braver and stronger than most her age.  Someone who had to finish growing up in a hurry. Who has made sacrifices and taken risks. Who has forced herself way, way out of her comfort zone. Who has risen to the occasion.

Our family’s baby is not a baby any more.

For these and many other reasons, we wanted to honor her. To spend some one-on-one quality time with her. To have some little adventures. To laugh and be as we were before The Earthquake…if only for a brief time.

So we tabled everything else, bit the bullet, and got on a plane to meet ‘Formerly-Known-As-The-Baby’ Grace in Switzerland the day after she finished exams. (She had been taking classes at Pepperdine’s branch in Lausanne for the previous two months.)

I am so glad that we did.

It was not an earth-shattering trip. We did not force ourselves into every Museum, see every historic site, dance every dance. On some days, we just wandered, walked, and watched.

And laughed: church laughs…gut-busting laughs…full-out hyena laughs. You see (and do) funny things in foreign countries.

And we ate. Oh, my goodness, did we ever eat. We ate good. We ate well. Nous avons mange’ beaucoup.

Worth every calorie. Every ripple of cellulite. Impractical from a diet standpoint, but so worth it.

We ate octopus and escargot and pate’ and lamb and rabbit and several fish I’d never seen or heard of… some with heads and eyes intact. We ate drippingly luscious fruits and savory cheeses and marvelous macaroons and heavenly ice cream. We drank cold soups and spooned hot soups and tasted tempting terrines. We drank exotic strange-colored liquids and local wines and oceans of designer water. (Non-gaseuse, s’il vous plait.) Even gagged down an occasional “Coca Cola Light”… NOT the same as Diet Coke, whatever claims may be made.

I’m getting carried away again.

We also drank in the smells and sounds and sights of Otherness.

Which, I think, is a very good thing. The world is so much more than our own little corners of it. It is important that we remind ourselves of that.

This impractical, unnecessary little trip of ours made me think about so many things I haven’t thought about lately. It gave me a new perspective on the world, my country’s place in it, and the issues…huge issues…that are inevitably going to affect all of us. We cannot continue to remain oblivious and isolated.

The encounters we had with a kaleidoscope of raw humanity brought the issue of faith to the forefront of my mind. I hope that I will be able to share some of these thoughts with you before they fade away, obscured by the tyranny of the everyday.

I wish I had more time to reflect and ponder.

But life moves so very fast here on our side of The Pond. I’ll probably be off and running on to the next thing before the suitcase is even unpacked.

I will tell you one thing, though. There’s something very, very right about countries in which the shops close for two hours everyday…

for lunch.

Life is short. We need to live well.

And, sometimes, impractically.

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I’m not trying to inflict boring family travel pix on any unwilling victims, but if you’re interested, click here:

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If you can't get it to stop, press "Escape." (Ha!)

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I am so grateful for all those who have shared their prayer needs, and for those who have responded faithfully. Know that I am praying for each of you. Our little prayer lady is a good reminder. Please continue to feel free to add your concerns.