Gratitude Tuesday

Today I am grateful for Courage. My son Jonathan is one of the most courageous people I know.  He is also very ambitious.  He is curious about the world we live in and has the courage to go and explore this great big world on his own.  Two years ago he traveled to Mexico (alone) to study abroad. He booked his flight and got on a plane for the first time to Mexico City. I was so proud of him for going.  Upon arriving at Mexico city, he had to find the bus station and take a bus to Cuernavaca.  Then he had to catch a taxi to the boarding house he was to stay at. I cannot imagine flying to a foreign country, catching a bus, then taking a taxi to the boarding house all by myself.  That is courage.  Jonathan’s trip to study abroad didn’t work out for him so he came home early. After graduating, he found a job teaching Spanish at a local high school.  He paid off all of his loans and then banked the rest of his salary.  You see he still dreamed of travelling to foreign countries. After the school year was completed, Jonathan made plans to travel to Mexico again.  He visited with the family that ran the boarding house and toured all around Mexico. But still he dreamed of traveling more of the world. He applied for and was hired as an English teaching assistant in Andalucia Spain.  He had to travel to Chicago to apply for his visa at the Spanish consulate. The best part was he took his Brother with him! I love that they spent so much time together!   This was Michael’s first flight so he was very courageous to go along.  So Jonathan is preparing to leave tomorrow.  While I am grateful for Jonathan’s courage for wanting to see the world, I am praying for courage for me.  I am going to miss him like crazy—8 months is a long time.  He will miss Thanksgiving and Christmas with us.   This is HUGE because we have  always  been together for the holidays. I will need courage to make it through that.  So I am thankful for Courage—Courage that drives my child to explore the world and courage that will see me through the next 8 months.

Blessings,

Lisa