Written and Edited - June 17th, 2017 - 3:28 pm to 3:58 pm
Edited - June 19th, 2017 - 2:22 pm to 2:29 pm
Bushy Thorns and Ice Cream or The Parting of Thorny Bushes
So my mother, sister and I were on this Beach trip. I think it was the summer of 1977 or 1978. I think there were other people on the trip with us like Bill and Dale, and 2 or 3 other couples, families including Ed, Claire and their children.
At one point, my mother, Jim and I and I think Ed and Claire were walking back or trying to get back from the beach ocean to somewhere else. I think we were trying to get back to the house, but I don't remember.
At one point we found ourselves in the middle of constant thorny bushes on our path. Add the extremely hot sun and the fact that none of us knew where we were going and how long this hell would continue. Which in my mind was never ending.
I think we all expressed extreme frustration. But I feel like I was the fussiest. I don't know how much of that was because I was inside myself but not others, my anxiety level, and/or other things.
Somehow, by some fucking miracle from God himself, it was like the parting of the red sea. Except it was like a parting of the thorny bushes.
Someone, I don't remember who saw a sign from God or at least people. There was a sign for a general store.
Relief was in sight, walking distance, and mind.
So Jim or someone bought my sister and I treats. I don't remember what she got and I got ice cream. I think that they asked us what we wanted. Which was a therapeutic, healing moment in itself.
So we found ourselves sitting on a porch swing. I was eating my ice cream sitting next to Jim, my sister and a few others.
Jim was telling us a story about a time he got lost on a mountain and had to find his way back.
At that moment all was right with the world. Hearing Jim and his story was healing for me in many different ways. I didn't realize it until just now, June 17th, 2017, 3:46 pm, but the ice cream being cold was soothing. The taste of the ice cream was good. Jim's story came from a human, vulnerable moment which I think helped me process the thorny bushes episode. And I felt like he told it as a shared human experience, not one focused on ego.
And we were out of the woods, so to speak, safe from harm. We knew where we were or at least had some ideas of places to be or get to that were safe and comfortable.
Looking back, Jim's story might have been partially or completely made up and I don't remember the details. I just remember the general feeling of comfort and safety. So while I wish I remember more details, maybe the feeling is a tremendous gift and blessing.
And I have a picture thanks to someone who took it at the time. I don't remember to what extent I was aware of the picture being taken at the time. But I know now and have my journey's worth since then that have been added to reflections, appreciations, questions, etc.
So, I don't know if it was Sydney (Jim's father) who took the picture or someone else. But I want to thank everyone and everything that came together to take that picture and for me to be able to have it and be a part of my life.