Heading North

Las Ramblas, Barcelona

When traveling, I have always enjoyed opportunities to visit with fellow travelers. There are always stories to be told, travel tips to be shared, and often, tender (or tough) moments that are experienced. Lynn and I had just wandered through a restaurant (Lynn wanted a table by the window) and settled on one on the sidewalk.)

We had not yet ordered when Malcolm and Sarah wheeled/walked up. Sarah said, “Malcolm, you can’t get that thing over the step,” referring to his motorized wheelchair. He said, “But the food looks good!” I invited them to sit with us at the table on the sidewalk. She said, “Are you sure? Don’t get him started telling tales.”

And our evening of fun began. Malcolm, a retired professor from England, and Sarah, a retired public school teacher from Texas, shared their humor and warmth in a most engaging way. A victim of polio, Malcolm laughs and shares his joy, and lives life to the fullest—and the pain never ceases. Sarah and Malcolm have been together just three years, yet they share the spark and magic of a lifetime of love.

We are surrounded by lives lived often so painfully, yet lives filled with hope. Laughter comes. Love flows. Hope abounds.

I really believe, when we reach out and share our resources—yes, our money, our time, a little bit of ourselves—even with people we will never meet, something good happens. Our world is better for it. So, I continue the journey toward Stockholm. I will finish the race. And hope and pray that through your kindness, some folks in Nepal, in the midst of their pain, will smile. And have hope again.