5 Minute Friday ~ Paths

Hopefully back more consistently now that the school year is over... and just delighted to be joining Lisa Jo over at Gypsy Mama for 5 Minute Friday!

"So, here’s the skinny: every Friday for over a year hundreds of people join a kind of writing flash mob over here. For five minutes flat. No extreme editing; no worrying about perfect grammar, font, or punctuation.

Unscripted. Unedited. Real. All on the same prompt that I post here at 1 minute past midnight EST ever Friday.

Write and see what comes out. There’s no right or wrong.

It’s a Five Minute Friday flash mob!

1. Write for 5 minutes flat – no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking
2. Link back here and invite others to join in.
3. And then absolutely, no ifs, ands or buts about it, you need to visit the person who linked up before you & encourage them in their comments. Seriously. That is, like, the rule. And the fun. And the heart of this community..

OK, are you ready? Please give me your best five minutes on...

Path..."

On your mark... Get set... Go!

It is that time of the year in life, particularly in this expat life...



My husband describes it as a great sucking sound when that plane takes off on Sunday night, late, after church. It feels like half our world will be on that plane, leaving. And if not on that plane, than another one in just a few more short days... or weeks...

It kinda feels like the insides of your heart are being sucked right out of you - so strongly, so rapidly, that your heart is just turned right inside out.

We celebrated grad last night... we've actually been celebrating it all this week with final final exams, banquets, at least two all night parties, cleaning out lockers and closing assemblies. It all culminated in, as they say in French, "la remise de diplomes."

It is a celebration. Those kids have worked hard and they've earned that right to rejoice and have fun ~ and all the while being celebrated by those who've watched, helped and struggled both with and, at times against, them through those tumultous high school years.

Next year's senior class... Brendan's graduating class... although at least two of these kids will be gone next year, too.

That part is normal to almost any community at this time of year. The difference comes in the paths these children-who've-now-been-promoted-to-young-adults.

One heads to S. Africa... another to Korea... another to Canada... one to Austria... then there's the one who may go back to Cameroon... while others to all parts of United States. And at college breaks they mostly won't return here. For many, their parents are transitioning, too... to another place, a new ministry and a new phase of life, and so Mom and Dad's new home will no longer be a familiar place they know.

And so their circle grows and changes as each one moves beyond the radius of what they've known, their paths taking a different directions and aimed towards different destinations.

Many of them? Their paths may never cross again this side of eternity...

... or facebook.

The paths God has chosen for each one of  us are like that, aren't they? Such a mix of mountain top joy swirled together with heart-breaking sorrow.

Stop!