A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

The weather is a balmy 79 degrees, I’m sitting on the patio at my parents backyard, there isn’t a cloud in the sky. It has been just over 5 months since we left here on our adventure and it’s funny how, on the surface, so little has changed and yet everything has changed…we aren’t the same people we were when we left. As I sit here pondering all our experiences I have to grin about how naive Nikki and I were when we embarked on this journey. We knew it wouldn’t be all roses but man we severely underestimated how much work it would entail and how tired we would be— we are ready for this break! Last night I contemplated the advice I would give myself if I could go back in time- how could I best prepare for the crazy journey that lay ahead. The answer is simple- never forget your purpose or you will quickly be overwhelmed by the gravity of the situation.

Our last two stops of the trip were absolutely memorable. Over the Thanksgiving holiday my family had the pleasure of hanging out with some friends we served with when I was assigned to SEAL Team Seven. My teammate is currently engaged in a battle against cancer, and we were blessed to be able to spend time with him and his family.  The ladies spent the week preparing the most incredible Thanksgiving meal anyone has ever laid eyes on (I ate way too much apple pie) and our kids enjoyed playing with theirs (Daniel got hooked on “Just Dance”, a video game that makes you boogie). Although it is obviously a stressful and difficult time in their life, we felt the peace of God during our time there. I recall how Nikki’s cancer battle produced similar focus on the things that matter - Faith, family, friends. It was interesting to see how her cancer story provided her with the means to comfort them in unique and relevant ways. Life’s trials provide platforms from which to help others down the road.

We then headed up to the DC area to spend time with my brother and his beautiful family. They live on an enormous Army base (Ft Belvoir) which fortunately has an RV park— we were essentially neighbors for the first time in our adult lives! For 2+ weeks we were able to literally just hang out. We didn’t have to rush, overplan, or stress out—- just be still and hangout. Bike rides, football games, Minecraft, and of course a trip to the International Spy Museum were among the highlights of our times together. Managed to finally see our bald eagle as well. Oh, and my brother was kind enough to lend me a hand with my water pipe that burst (PTL Nikki was there when it happened or we could have had a huge mess on our hands). We enjoyed being neighbors- there’s no substitute for quality time with the people you love. I was also able to connect with my USNA classmate Jerry Kim and friend from the Station, Jess Atkinson, both of whom I have deep admiration for- thanks for connecting fellas.

But the weather was shifting and Loco don’t do cold! So with that we drove Hope down to Norfolk, parked her at our friends house (#craziest_backup_job_imaginable) and wrapped her up for the holidays.  There was a little air travel stress (think airport running scene from Home Alone), but we got on the plane and finally breathed a sigh of relief, it was time for a break. I thumbed thru the movies onboard and settled on a movie which chronicled the life of Mr. Rogers (watch the movie, it is that good). What resonated with me, particularly in light of our RV trip, was that Fred Rogers was genuinely interested in people and never too busy to listen. We have always said that this trip was more about people than places and stressed the need to be intentional with our lives, so it was fitting to see that both those values were reflected in his life. Over the next couple of weeks the family while our family rests, recovers, and reflects we pray that you and your family have the opportunity to do the same.  During this holiday season while we are forced to be physically apart from each other I encourage us all to look for creative ways to stay engaged in the lives of the people we love and seek ways imaginative ways to be good neighbors to those in our circles of influence.  Won’t you be my neighbor?