My Morning Walk- a dedication

Its is seven years ago this month (April 2001) since we lived through a parents nightmare - a child on the other side of the world seriously ill.

Within 36 hours of hearing the news I was on a plane heading to California where our child (number 3) was living and working.

It was an extremely traumatic and stressful time for all of us. My husband arrived for 10 days to give support during the operation and hospital stay and I stayed on to help with convalescence. There were complications, another operation was needed, and the recovery was slow and far from straight forward.

I had to negotiate my way around a totally foreign health system, cope with medical terminology, numerous doctors and specialists appointments, and drive on the wrong side of the road!!

Hair. raising.

I was there for 12 weeks in all.

Late in 2000 I had met, quite by chance, some American tourists who were visiting our city. When we talked we discovered that they lived in the same suburb as Number three! The world is indeed a small place.

As they were leaving, the woman gave me her card and said that if I was ever in their neighbourhood, or if my child needed help, to call her. Little did I realise that only a few months later I would be seeing her again.

A few days after my arrival I did call her, and she lived literally five minutes walk away from our apartment. I was invited around to her house, and she invited me to join her walking group. Most mornings at 7am she would be outside to meet me and we joined the group for our walk along the beach path. They followed a pathway along a beautiful Californian beach, sometimes there were dolphins playing out in the waves.

As I walked, I walked and talked away my stress.

They helped me negotiate and understand their health systems, gave me support when things were not so good and included me in their every day life. I went off to a book club meeting, farmers markets, breakfasts on the pier, luncheons, and participated in general hilarity as we all piled into a vintage convertible car for a photo shoot. I was introduced to margaritas and mexican food.

Slowly my child improved, made a good recovery and was able to resume work. I was made redundant and able to return home.

I will never ever forget those American people who opened their lives to me, a virtual stranger. I can't thank them enough.

We still keep in touch and I visited them again a year later, this time in happier circumstances.

This post is dedicated to them - I think of them often as I go on my morning walk and wish they could walk along with me.