Dear Reader:

The nice thing about growing older is that our hindsight plays a larger role in our ever changing perspective. We are finally able to understand how some of our earlier major disappointments and rejections took us in another direction… the right one.

At the time, however, didn’t it sometimes feel like the world had ended for us? It might have been a college (we wanted to attend) rejection slip, a scholarship rejection, a job interview rejection, a book transcript rejection slip, or even a relationship rejection. No matter the type of rejection … let’s face it… it hurt.

Time heals. The day arrives when we think back on one of these painful episodes and suddenly see it through different lenses. It pushed us in a different direction… the right direction… ” rejection can truly be a form of protection ” As much as we thought it was right for us… in the long term it would have been wrong and our lives would have suffered for it.

Like every lover of writing… the dream of being published used to be the Olympic Gold Medal … but now that I have lived long enough to see how anyone ( with all the new technology) can get a book published (if they pay for it… ) or if they are a celebrity -suddenly everyone has turned into an ” author ” ( or at least their ghost writer has) … especially a children’s author for some reason…. having a book published is a ” dime a dozen.”

So until tomorrow..I have ended up telling my story and your story through simple daily observations of life with my life-altering encounter with St Jude’s Chapel of Hope…and in the process I have made the startling discovery about just how amazing the seemingly ” mundane” day-to -day rituals can manifest themselves into the ” magnificence of life… beautiful life!

Today is my favorite day… Winnie the Pooh

And no… I haven’t forgotten precious Rhea but you know how I like to end on an upbeat note… “upbeat” describes Rhea’s improving condition… everyone is cautiously optimistic as more tests are checking everything out but her overall improvement is steady and stationary (as in the good sense of the term) since she first was admitted. Patience prevails while the doctors examine everything to correct any glitches, if necessary and make sure her little system is all in sync. Thank you for your kindness, compassion, and prayers. Isn’t it amazing how one tiny baby can bring so many people together in love?

All of you have sparked our hearts with joy by your kind words and encouragement! 💗🙏🏻 Thank you.

Susan, Bekah, Ady, and I went to Newts to eat and we all thoroughly enjoyed our meals and especially just being together!

It was just what the doctor ordered for all of us… as we have anxiously awaited more news on Rhea. She is still in the Newborn ICU but the 24/7 care and attention she is being given is exemplary-the very best place for our Rhea and she is responding well to the care tactics and procedures. We all feel such confidence in the medical staff there!

Ridgecrest sent this camp photo of the Dingle Brothers-it sure looks like they are having fun.