Where there is much love

The morning of my two week trip to Asia.  Twin alarms go off at 5am.  We've both prepared for this day in our own way.  As I huddle in my warm bed, counting down the minutes until I have to leave, his arm comes around me in a strong embrace.  Not the soft gentle kind, no, it's the tight grip of a husband who wants me to know I will be missed.

The night before I tell me oldest I'm leaving for two weeks and she wraps herself around me, literally!  Arms and legs pinning me to her bed to show me how much she cares.  She says in a small voice "why can't I come with you?".  I tell her it's for work and I have to go alone.  Then she breaks my heart by saying "but I could help you".  Oh how I wish it were that easy to take a five year old around the world.

My mom stops by the morning before I leave and I have pleasure of helping her with a church study she's doing soon.  As she leaves she hesitates at the door, I tell her I'm leaving the next day and she says "I know".  She gives me a long look and a big hug and leaves.

There is much love in my little family and it's hard to say goodbye for two weeks.