The Art of Living Lost: The Long Walk is Part of the Gift

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Sunset beach scene with palm tree and volleyball net.Sometime ago, there was an American missionary living in a very tiny village. The young woman was a teacher who labored alongside the local people. One night, a boy from the missionary’s class brought her a crudely wrapped gift. The teacher was surprised as this little boy was very poor. What could he possibly give?

The teacher unwrapped the present and found an exquisite seashell. Knowing the only place to find the shell was many rugged miles away, she expressed enthusiastic appreciation. “My goodness,” she told him, “you’ve traveled so far to bring me such a wonderful present.”At first, the boy appeared surprised by her reaction, but his eyes quickly brightened, and a wide smile crept across his small face. “Teacher,” he explained, “the long walk is part of the gift.”

I love this story because it clearly articulates one of my core beliefs: that the journey is the gift. Think about it: the road you’ve traveled to become the person you are today. Crazy, right? How does rocky, dark, and scary turn into confidence, compassion, and love? It’s a gift.

Have a great week,

The Art of Living Lost: 50 and Fabulous!

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Person leaning over a wooden bridge with a black dog nearby in a forest.A few months ago I was standing in a supermarket checkout line and a National Geographic headline caught my attention; 50 of the World’s last GREAT places — Destinations of a Lifetime.  As I was turning 50 in a few months, I purchased the issue and thought; maybe I would go on an adventure to one of the 50 last GREAT places for my 50th birthday?

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The Art of Living Lost: It’s in the Cards

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A deck of red-backed playing cards fanned out with a red carabiner.One of the things I worry about most is how my children are growing up without the influence of a father.  Every day I make decisions for the children and wonder how Chris would have handled the situation.  For the most part I’ve sailed through the process.  This week I was blessed with an inadvertent nod towards my parenting skills.

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The Art of Loving Lost: Huh?

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Inspirational quote on living well, laughing often, and loving much.Last week I contacted the journalist who wrote an article titled The Azores: An untamed island paradise only a few hours by air from North America.  In a tiny comments box I typed an even tinier note introducing myself and explaining my interest in learning more about the archipelago known as the Azores.  I included a link to my BLOG offering a point of reference for the conversation.  In an ironic twist of fate, I inadvertently typed the address www.TheArtofLovingLost.com; fortunately it didn’t match a site on the Internet prompting the journalist to ask if I mistyped the web address – I did.  When I looked at the link I realized I typed The Art of LOVING Lost versus The Art of LIVING Lost.  I chuckled and sent her an updated link.

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The Art of Living Lost: Enduring the Waves of Time

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Portuguese postage stamp featuring a bird and conference theme.

I will start by saying I lead a blessed life!

In 1979, my Mom graduated from college, and I graduated from the 8th grade. To celebrate both occasions, my family took a cruise from New York to the Bahamas. As many of you know, cruising is a great family experience, adults can eat, drink, and relax while children are offered opportunities to go on new and inspired adventures. One of the shipboard activities, called “letter in a bottle”, encouraged children to write short notes about themselves, adding their return address. Imagining the bottle floating in the sea was exciting!

Once the letters were written and stuffed into a corked bottle, we were taken to the stern, where we tossed the bottles into the Atlantic Ocean. Fun and done.

Fast forward to November 1981, and I received the following letter:

 

Handwritten note with partially visible text on lined paper.

 

My “letter in a bottle” was found on the Azores island of Santa Maria on November 20, 1981, 30 months after that fateful toss! Now, if you are unfamiliar with the Azores, welcome to the club! It turns out the Azorean islands are an autonomous (keyword) region of Portugal, forming an archipelago in the mid-Atlantic Ocean, and are situated about 850 miles west of Portugal. Santa Maria, Azores, is about 3,200 miles north-east of the Bahamas. Considering oceanic currents, my little letter in a bottle went a very long way!

Map showing a pinpoint in the North Atlantic Ocean between North America and Europe.

As it turns out, Mr. Antonio found my bottle on November 20th. I received the letter in early December and immediately replied with details of my teenage American life. I never heard back from Mr. Antonio, but I dreamed of visiting the Azores and sincerely shaking his hand. In my mind, Mr. Antonio looked like a Greek fisherman, and I knew he led a life full of family and fun. I kept the letter with my childhood treasures, and when my folks moved to their current home, my Mom delivered a little wooden treasure box and declared it officially mine. It’s a beautiful box. It had my name in stickers on the top and sported a non-locking lock. I fondly re-read the letters from my past, and when I found the “letter in a bottle” envelope, I put it in my office for use in my newly conceived BLOG.

What better place to visit than an archipelago in the mid-Atlantic Ocean?

With this in mind, I drafted a note in May 2015 to the addressee of the original letter, introducing the BLOG and myself. I sent a second note to a Mr. Antonio via Facebook and mailed a letter to a man with the same name in Massachusetts, and then I forgot about it. And that’s all I’m saying. I’m leaving you to wonder, how does the story turn out? Is Mr. Antonio a Facebook stalker? I guess, you’ll just have to read next week’s post to find out!

Have a great week,