Soul Food

As I fly home from the tropical island of Kauai, I can’t help but think about what I’ve learned over the past two weeks. (It’s much more fun to think about my vacation than to watch the in-flight movie.)

I’ve learned or re-learned that:

• I eat too much when I travel even though I know better.
• I love tropical breezes, double rainbows, Hula Pie, and soft rain.
• I love snorkeling.
• I love helicopter rides over canyons, beaches, and waterfalls.
• “Aloha” also means “until we meet again.”
• Hawaiian hospitality is unsurpassable.
• Coffee grows on trees. (OK, the beans are surrounded by cherries which grow on trees.)
• Hawaiian dolphins love to jump and spin!
• I need vacations and mini-breaks to be a better wife/mother/mentor/coach/person.
• A daily dose of fresh air refreshes the soul.
• Kauai is G.O.R.G.E.O.U.S. beyond belief.
• Our God is an awesome God.

This vacation has been exactly what I needed even though I didn’t realize I needed anything!  Has that ever happened to you? You receive an unexpected gift—perhaps a phone call from a trusted friend or flowers from a loved one or tickets to a favorite musical—and you realize just how much you needed that blessing. May we always remember how important it is to break free from daily routines…to carve out time to appreciate Creator and Creation…and to give unexpectedly to others.

Mahalo, Kauai, for giving me your gifts of timelessness, beauty, and joy. I miss you already.

Aloha.