Five Things - May 20, 2024

Welcome to my blog titled “Five Things” where you can expect just that - five random musings or reflections from the previous week or so. For a photo gallery of our life on the road, our pets, and miscellaneous things I find interesting, you can also follow me on Instagram @tabithalord.

So here are this week’s five things…

1. Over the last ten days I’ve had a whirlwind of travel, and not in the RV. First, I flew to my sister and brother-in-law’s place in Folsom to spend Mother’s Day with my parents who were there visiting. A fabulous time was had by all. We ate, we drank, we laughed, and we got to spend some really memorable quality time together. Then, I flew to Portland to help our daughter move in to her first ever apartment. That was wonderful, but needless to say, I need a vacation from that particular vacation. Finally, I flew back to Chicago to meet up with Ray, who proceeded to fly to the west coast for work the next day. When life moves at this kind of pace, I sometimes wake up in the morning with no idea where I am or what day it is! Yesterday, after driving Ray to the airport, I went to a hot yoga class, sorted and organized my work tasks, and then cuddled up on the recliner with a good book for a reset. Hopefully, this will be a productive and less hectic week, and I will at least remember where I am when I open my eyes in the morning!

2. While I was in Sacramento, I tagged along with my sis and bro-in-law to a Pearl Jam concert, and wow, it did not disappoint. I’d been listening to a compendium of their work from the last several decades, and I downloaded their new album, Dark Matter, to get familiar with the new stuff. On the plane from Sac to Portland, the guy next to me noticed my concert t-shirt and was all excited because he’d just seen them as well. We chatted and laughed like swooning teens, which we obviously were not.

3. “Music is the soundtrack of your life.” - Dick Clark

4. Although Ray and I have been camped outside Chicago for almost two weeks, we haven’t been able to do much here due to our individual travel, but we did get to spend one day together in the city with Ray’s cousin at a Cubs game. The last time we visited Wrigley Field, our oldest had just finished boot camp, and he had around six hours of liberty to spend with us. After taking him out to dinner, we opted to hang out at a baseball game for the afternoon. He was in his dress whites, and I behaved like a nervous mama worrying about potential mustard and beer spills! We still laugh about it. As we watched the game this past weekend, I couldn’t help but reflect on all that’s happened between then and now. COVID shut the world down. Ray had a serious medical issue that rocked our world. Our son in the Navy deployed for seven months. He got married. Our youngest two children left for college. We sold our home of twenty years and bought an RV. One of my college roommates died. Ray and I crossed the country and traveled up and down both coasts. I wrote more books and applied to graduate school. Honestly, I never could have predicted or imagined most of these things. When I reflect on it all, I’m reminded that each moment is precious, worry is pointless because we can’t even fathom all the things we might worry about, and love and family transcend time and distance. Okay, I’m officially finished waxing poetic!

5. Dallas Fan Expo is right around the corner. I’ll be there June 7-9 signing books at booth A307. You can also catch me moderating a panel titled, “A Hero, an Antihero, and a Villain Walk into a Bar…” The program schedule will be coming soon. If you’re in the area, stop in and say hello!

Monday Musings 4-25-22

As I write this, I am sitting alone in the Airbnb we rented for our son’s wedding. Because we were all coming and going from different places at different times, I’m the last one to fly out later today. The house is quiet, and I am spending my last few hours prepping for my work week, tossing in one last load of laundry, and packing. Just a few hours ago, all our kids were gathered here. We ate, drank, laughed, cried, and celebrated. Now it’s a beautiful memory.

Because our son is in the Navy, it made sense for them to marry sooner than later, so the wedding was at the courthouse, with only parents and siblings attending. They’ll be planning a larger celebration for next year, but nonetheless, this was a moving and meaningful day as they declared their love for one another and took their vows.

When the kids started dating years ago, I wondered who would become a permanent part of our family. Who would they begin their own family with? Our oldest has made his choice, and he has chosen perfectly in his beautiful bride. They understand each other on a soul level, they bring balance to each other, they laugh with each other, and they value the same things. They are blessed to have each other as they walk this journey of life. Congratulations Nicholas and Leslie!

“To be fully seen by somebody, then, and be loved anyhow–this is a human offering that can border on miraculous.” - Elizabeth Gilbert

Monday Musings 4-13-20

During these strange and sometimes scary days, it’s easy to think about all we are missing, all that we’ve lost or stand to lose. For families with sick loved ones, this time is particularly awful. For parents trying to work, homeschool their children, and maintain their own mental health, this is an exhausting, frustrating time. For people worried about jobs or finances, the stress is huge. In no way do I want to belittle that reality.

And yet, I truly believe the only thing I can control is my response to what’s happening. So, today, I’m choosing to respond to this situation with gratitude.

I am grateful to be in a warm home with plenty to eat. I am grateful to be sheltering in place with my husband, who is also my best friend. I am grateful that my family is safe and healthy. I am grateful that this morning I got to practice yoga wearing my Star Wars pajamas. I am grateful to have friends I can stay connected with through the overworked internet. I am grateful to have a neighbor I adore with whom I can swap desserts, cookies, and bottles of wine. I am grateful that I can talk to my mom and dad every day. I am grateful I can see my older kids’ faces and talk to them from across the continent. I am grateful that my younger children are thoughtful, kind human beings who make it easy to be with them all day, every day. I am grateful that I can still do my work. I am grateful for my animals. Really, who is worthy of the unconditional love they offer? I am grateful for the opportunity to recognize what’s truly important in my life.

“Gratitude turns what we have into enough.” – Anonymous

Monday Musings 12-23-19

I’m writing this from my hotel room in Folsom, CA, where we’ll be spending Christmas at my sister’s house. This is the first Christmas in 26 years that we won’t be in our own home for the holiday. When my kids were little, that was my one uncompromising requirement - they would wake up in their own beds on Christmas morning and celebrate in our home. We’d travel for other holidays sometimes, but Christmas was non-negotiable. We’d host anyone who wanted to come, and for all these years, they did.

Well, the kids are all mostly grown-up now, and they’ve had a childhood full of Christmas memories, just as I’d hoped. With my sister and two of my boys now living on the west coast, it felt like the right time to try something different.

Last night, my husband and I sat at the hotel bar with all the kids and laughed for nearly the entire time, until they basically closed the place up around us. As parents, we often look back and think about what we could have done differently, how we may have handled something better, how we might have failed our kids in some way or another. But last night, sitting together watching the love my kids have for one another, I am sure we did something very right.

Wishing you and your family love and joy this holiday season.