Come About!

Tip-n-Tac's foresail - (My dad's name is J. Bond - aka - 007) He built this cruising sail vessel  from scratch over two decades ago. The full-hull keel was cast by my dad and his colleagues. They smelted the metals, made the "in-ground" frame, and poured the keel. Tip-n-Tac was granted an "Ocean Ready" rating by the U.S. Coast Guard.  

Preparing to launch Tip-n-Tac - Permission to come aboard, Captain?

007 Himself - Yes, he has a bit of character!  Arg! 

My dad's shipmate - Joan Bond (my mother)

 McKenzie - Our eldest granddaughter at Tip-n-Tac's helm

It's time to come about, McKenzie!  (After you figure out which way the wind is blowing)! 

Enjoy!  

Live!

There is nothing quite like a 20% heel, water spraying lightly in the air, the quiet of the motor being cut, and the sound of wind filling the sail. Sailing is an art, a science, a choice, an adventure, and it is hard work!      ...  Thus too, is life.

Sometimes the art of living is learning from our mistakes. However, the difference between making a mistake and making a bad choice is often misunderstood. 

When I was hospitalized for endocarditis, I shared the hospital room with a lovely, elderly woman who was ill enough that she was eventually transported to the Mayo Clinic. Before she was moved, she crawled out of her hospital bed and walked over to my side of the room.  With her, she carried a floating rosebud in a water vase that she passed on to me and said something that I have never forgotten, “We make enough mistakes trying to do the best that we can. Why would anyone intentionally make a bad choice?” 

I wasn’t sure why she passed that message on to me, but as a young mother at the time, I wanted to recover, live, and watch my children grow up strong and healthy. As I reflect back on that day, in that room, where both of us were quite seriously ill, the message that she gave me was a gift; the kind of gift that lasts.  The treatment for my illness at the time was almost worse than the illness itself. I was about ready to give in to the illness. I now believe that she saw that in me. I needed to choose life and wellness; I needed to go through the treatments to get well. Life is not always the easiest road; believe you me.

From that moment on, I knew the difference between a mistake and a bad choice. I needed to choose the medical intervention and healing, rather than give in to the illness. I was 26 years old. For some reason, before that time, I had not differentiated mistakes from bad choices.  Now I see the difference quite clearly at 52 years of age. The difference is not even subtle!  Yet, many people write off bad choices as mistakes. 

To be clear, let me use an analogy of a fork in the road. Let’s say a young man is trying to get to a particular destination; a wonderful destination. His intent is to get there.  However, a fork in the road appears that the young man does not anticipate and he takes a wrong turn that leads him away from the intended destination.  He might have to go over hill and dale before he figures out that he made a mistake, but eventually after it becomes clear that he took a wrong turn, he will likely adjust his course and get to where he is going.  A bad choice would be to start out as if going someplace, fully intending not to get there and missing the opportunities that the destination offers, because the intent was not to get there in the first place. The difference between a mistake and a bad choice is quite clear. In part, understanding this difference is what allows me to forgive. It all comes down to intention and action. After all, isn't that what life is? – Intention, action, and experience?

“We make enough mistakes trying to do the best that we can. Why would anyone intentionally make a bad choice?”

Live!

Catch the wind in your sail and prepare to ... "Come About!” 

A Place Between Journeys.

When I arrived at my harbor, I had just weathered a tumultuous and long-lasting storm... the kind of a storm that no one wants to experience...the kind of a storm that comes from human error, poor judgment, and bad decisions that were made outside of my will, by one who was close to me. That said, I now know what it means to carry a cross for the sake of someone else.  Simply put, forgiveness is the answer.....But, I am not a martyr.... I  have my faults too (as do those who pass judgment).  I survived that storm in part, because auto-pilot kicked in and carried me one nautical mile after another, until the shore was in sight.  So too, I survived because of the grace of God's angels....those of heaven and those of earth....those who helped....those who kept vigil in the lighthouse. I shall forever be grateful to them. Ultimately, I found safe harbor and only came in off of the water once the sea was settled and the winds shifted directions.....at last......gently.

Looking ahead, I see that the inner harbor not only provides a haven for reprieve, recovery, and restoration, it also provides a place for reflection, planning, and anticipation. I am only now beginning to dream again, to plan again, and to enjoy the moment that I am in once more .... that place between journeys....a place where the morning air beckons.....a place where I can make new acquaintances, reconnect with old friends, chart new adventures, and.......live!

Welcome to Patricia's Harbor

The "winds of change" are sometimes gentle. If you have ever sailed on glassy water and you could still feel the breeze on your cheek, then you know just what I mean.  Other times, the winds are suddenly wild and the waters are turbulent. The inner harbor beckons. Yet, experience knows that it is best to stay out on the water, reef the sail, drop the anchor, and turn the bow of the vessel into the storm....

Life is all about change - sometimes gentle - sometimes not.  Sometimes as smooth as glass - sometimes not.  Sometimes enjoyable - sometimes not... At least for me; it is about change. 

There is nothing like coffee in the galley during the early  morning hours, and nothing like the song of the halyards as a hot summer day turns to nighttime behind the protection of the breakwater. Even the subtle changes of daybreak and nightfall are part of life.  The "winds of change" are my constant.

Ahoy! Welcome to Patricia's Harbor...a place between journeys.