Love, Gratitude and Jumping in with Both Feet (plus a giveaway!)

Remember that girl who was afraid to travel to Colorado for a ski vacation?

Well, that same girl, just got back from a week in Charleston, South Carolina!

It was actually Tucker who took me there.  Well, his 8th grade class trip, to be more precise.

His class, who’s been together with the same teacher since 1st grade (Waldorf School), has been fundraising for ages in anticipation of the trip.  A handful of parents, including me, went along as chaperones.  I really didn’t want to go, ‘cause as you already know, I don’t like to travel.  But neither does Tuck, so when I reluctantly offered to go along as a chaperone, his whole attitude toward the trip changed.

There were so many highlights throughout the week – touring historic downtown Charleston, swimming and playing at the beach, canoeing through the coastal salt marshes – but for me, one moment stands out above all the rest. That moment came when another mom on the trip commented on my relationship with Tucker.  “I never knew you two were so devoted to each other,” she said.  She pointed out the moments throughout the week when Tuck would part from his friends to come over my way and give my hand a squeeze or drape his arm over my shoulder.  “It’s truly lovely,” she said, “to see a boy so in love with his mom.”   I’d fly back to South Carolina once a week just to hear that again.  It really came as such a surprise, first of all, because I’ve never looked at my relationship with Tuck through the eyes of another, but more importantly, as he’s moved into serious adolescence, there’ve been times when I was certain he didn’t even like me, let alone love me.  I’m not sure if it was that comment, or living in the midst of 31 other people for a week, sleeping on the top of a bunk bed, waiting in line for the bathroom, cramming into big white passenger vans to get here, there, and everywhere, but something cracked open in me during that week and I’ve arrived home brimming with joy and gratitude, knowing that when I take chances, when I choose to jump in with both feet, rather that letting fear talk me into staying at home, amazing things can happen.

On that note, we just found out that Lee has to travel to London for business the day after Tucker graduates, and in spite of the need for expedited passports, expensive plane fares and my clenched-up belly, we’re jumping in with both feet and the kids and I going along with him.  (We’ll have traveled more in the past 5 months than we have in the past 10 years!)  I can do this, right?

The final thing I wanted to mention is that last week, May 29th, was the one-year anniversary of the release of my book, Preemie.  I wanted to do something special in honor of this anniversary, so I’ve decided to offer one of my favorite chapters, Chapter 6 – Trains, as a free download.  I hope you enjoy it and please pass it along to others.

Please accept my deepest gratitude and appreciation for all the love and support you’ve shown Preemie and me throughout the past year.  I am honored and so delighted to know that our story is out there in the world helping others to heal.

Click on the photo below for your free download of Chapter 6 from Preemie!

With love and blessings,

Kasey