Standing By

Over the River and Through The Woods

(Avi)

I am normally a fairly patient person, content to wait peacefully for whatever life may throw at me and deal with things as they pop up on me. However, I seemed to have left that trait in the hotel. We'd had to run to make our flights home, and poor Kevin had nearly missed his, having to sweet talk the boarding agent into opening the door back up for him. He was lucky she had. I honestly didn't think she would, knowing how persnickety airlines have to be these days. Kirstie, Mitch, and Scott had the luxury of half an hour to chill. I'd had to run to the gate across from Kevin's, begging for mercy from the agent and scramble before they closed the door on me.

After all that hurrying, my plane had had to sit in gate for an extra forty-five minutes while some sort of wheel was readjusted. Naturally, that freaked everybody out, me included. I am not afraid of flying; I am not afraid of planes. I've flown for half my life, for crying out loud. Never had I run into an instance where a wheel had had to be readjusted before we could take off. I will admit, malfunctioning airplane parts do scare me. By the time they got that fixed, we had to get back in line for take-off, and of course, we were at the end of the line. It took another thirty minutes to get up in the air. The flight itself had been fairly uneventful, until we reached California. We had flown right over Visalia, then circled until my stomach threatened to revolt. I'd spent the rest of the flight curled up in a queasy ball. Once we'd landed, I still didn't feel all hat great, and my bad knee had cramped up. My mother had taken one look at her sorry sack of a son and took me right home and tucked me in like I was a kid.

I woke up in my old bedroom, yawning and stretching, grimacing when my knee popped. I reached down and rubbed it. I was going to have to get that looked at. I couldn't go one like this, one-kneed. God had given me two knees and I wanted both to work right. Sitting up in bed, I spend a few minutes just grinning and looking at my old things. It looked like Mom had barely touched my room since I'd left, only to dust and sweep the floor. I stood up and limped around the room, smiling at the memories. A lot of my own artwork that'd I'd actually drawn or painted. I'd almost forgotten how I used to love to draw and create. Pictures, stills, landscapes. Parents still have it in various places throughout the house. I love how supportive they are of me in everything I do, be it art, music, or wherever life leads me. They've always been so good to me. I'm so blessed to have the family I do. I could have so easily been born into, I don't know, Chance's family. My heart grew heavy thinking of him growing up under an abusive stepfather, beaten down time and again, physically and emotionally. He was stronger than even he gave himself credit for, surviving that. Had I been thrust into that situation, I couldn't be sure how I'd come out. I've always been sensitive. Sometimes too sensitive. I remembered my first rejection—my yearbook drawing was not chosen. I'd been hurt and my parents had to nurse my feelings back together. I'd enjoyed my art for a while before trying my restless hands at music, which I absolutely fell head over heels with. I'm sure my parents had been hesitant to see me throw myself wholeheartedly into that, knowing what a cutthroat world music can be. But I was older then, had a few more years built up on me, was a little stronger emotionally. I paused in front of my little music corner in my bedroom, with an old guitar, songbooks, awards, music paraphernalia. I picked up a songbook and leafed through it. Rejections in the music world are always plentiful, but it had treated me well. I hadn't gotten too many, always excelling, always shining.

Speaking of shining... I pulled the curtains open wide to let the sun in, all traces of rain and storms from last night gone. I closed my eyes, enjoying the feel of the warm sun, even from behind the window. I wondered what the temperature was, if it'd be a good day for a walk before we started Hanukkah festivities tonight. I checked my phone. Hmm. Not too bad, if I grabbed a jacket.

Feeling the draw of nature pulling on me, I tried to put a little zip into my step. I took a quick shower, feeling rejuvenated, and slipped on some nice warm clothes. Yep, I was ready. I still wasn't really hungry, so I bypassed the kitchen and headed to the door.