We’ve been putting in long, hard days at the hospital with our friends Jim and Shar Lewis as she draws closer to what appears to be the inevitable. It’s not the way we’d prefer to be spending our time, but it’s what is needed now for the people we love.
Jim and I go back over 25 years and even though we’re not related by blood we’re like brothers and all of his real family passed on long ago. 21 years ago we traveled this same path together when he lost his first wife to cancer. We were talking yesterday and he said he doesn’t know if he should feel blessed to have had two wonderful women in his life, or cursed to lose them. What do you say when somebody tells you something like that?
The one thing this whole experience has reinforced for us is that Terry and I are so glad we followed our dreams and became fulltime RVers 15 years ago. Jim and Shar had dreams that they were going to follow someday too. They wanted to spend at least a year living in Hawaii, and then a year fulltiming in an RV and then they’d decide whether to continue with one or the other. But first they wanted to finish remodeling the house to get it ready to sell, and this and that, and the dream would get pushed back another year.
Friends, if you have a dream, forget all of those silly reasons why you can’t do it today and go for it. You won’t regret it. In all of our time on the road, that is the singular most common thing people tell us over and over again, that they wish they had not waited so long. And I can’t begin to tell you how many stories just like Jim and Shar’s we have heard, where people waited too long and illness or death put a stop to their dreams before they ever began.
Have you entered this week’s Free Drawing yet for an audiobook of The Last Call, a Bill Travis mystery by my friend, bestselling author George Weir? All you have to do is click on the Free Drawing link and enter your name in the comments section at the bottom of that page (not this one). Only one entry per person per drawing please, and you must enter with your real name. To prevent spam or multiple entries, the names of cartoon or movie characters are not allowed. The winner will be drawn Sunday evening.
Thought For The Day – Remember when we were all kids and couldn’t wait to grow up? What the hell were we thinking?
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Unfortunately, we are having to wait. Selling our business is a requirement, between not being able to run it from the road, not being able to hire/have some one else manage it for us and needing the sale proceeds to finish the bus with the final basics required, it’s is the deciding factor.
We do have a very active prospect (finally) so we’re encouraged that just maybe, this might be the year, Class of 2014.
You all hope and pray with us.
Butch
We’ve been following our dream for 7 years now. Prayers to Jim & Shar and to you and Terry as well.
May I post a link on my FB page to this?
Our prayers.
As you said, follow your dreams ASAP. You never know. We retired at ages 55 and 49. I have had breast cancer twice since then. Hubby has had a bout with severe diverticulitis. We are still RVing through the good times and bad times. We believe the RVing and the people we have met have been so helpful to us through the bad times. This physical life is short.
What do you say to him? I would say you are blessed to have had two such wonderful women to love and love you. So many people never find love at all. Count your blessings each day. You will find that the blessings far out weigh the sad times. So glad you are both there to give support. Hugs, Connie B.
we also have been following our dreams now for 10 yrs and have not regretted one minute of it this included me having a heart attack back in 09, we thought that might have ended our dream of full timing but we figured I would much rather go out having adventures and not sit and worry if the next one will come. we have slowed down some and will probably only travel west now to see our son and grandson because Mike is almost 70 and does not know if he can do the 7,000 or more miles each summer. Our prayers our with Jim and Shari as well as you and Terry, he is so lucky he has friends like you and Terry
Thanks to your inspiration we now have two years of full-timing under our belts and I wish we had started sooner. It’s a great life. I learned the “don’t wait” lesson while working for SSA and seeing people get sick or too old to follow their dreams. We are so blessed to be able to pursue ours.
Sure Barry, thanks
Our prayers are with you guys. Let Jim know it’s better to be blessed than not. Pam and I are constantly looking for ways to make our dreams of RVing a reality. We’re slowly but surely getting there.
Your friend has been way more blessed than most…2 good spouses!! But none of that is much comfort at the moment and in loosing yet another loved one. But I have found in grief times, someone just listening, putting their arm around me and hugging me and saying they are sorry and so wish it was not so…that is what helped the most!! (Saying that, I have not lost my mate yet…but other very important people in my life that will never be replaced in any way). My main comfort is in knowing that this life is short and the LONG life yet awaits…and I fully expect to be with these awesome people who have already gone ahead. So this goodbye is temporary!
Blessings on you and Terri for caring so much for this couple and being there!!
Our thoughts and prayers are with you and your friends, Nick. What great friends you all are.