Previous Challenge Entry (Level 1 – Beginner)
Topic: The USA (01/08/09)
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TITLE: In The Shadow Of The Rocky Mountains | Previous Challenge Entry
By Irene MacBain
01/09/09 -
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“I have a son!” exclaimed Carol, (one of the team), “but I don’t think you’d want him really,” she finished with a far away look in her eyes.
The following day when they were alone Carol spoke of her son who had suffered with an illness since his childhood. After years of wrong diagnoses she and her husband had finally found out the truth. The illness would rob him of everything and by his early twenties he had become like a senile old man with heart problems. Pat found a new perspective as she saw her condition from a different angle.
Weeks later Pat was in agony and had resigned herself to staying in that day when the mail arrived. When she finally decided to see what there was she saw an interesting envelope. There was no stamp on it so she quickly opened it to see who it was from. Inside there was a return airline ticket with her name on it. She checked the envelope for a note but there wasn’t one. Checking the ticket again she saw that she had been booked to go to Colorado for two weeks. Elated and shocked at the same time, she realised she only had four weeks to be ready and the next day a cheque arrived as back payment for a benefit which was just enough to cover her spending money. She emailed Carol to check if she could stay with her.
“How was your trip?” Carol asked her as she met her at Denver airport.
“Great!” Replied Pat who was desperate to get a coffee and some painkillers.
The two walked to the parking area for disabled people, or rather Pat threw one foot in front of the other in a haphazard fashion which resembled walking at a slow pace. By the time she had made it to the car she was out of breath.
“You want to drive?” asked Carol with a mischievous grin on her face.
“Would you mind if I don’t?” Pat replied.
“Not a problem,” Carol went on, “but the passenger’s seat is on the other side!”
Pat grinned and crawled round to the passenger seat. There to her absolute delight was a large Starbucks Coffee. Her grin got wider as she sat in the car with coffee cup to her lips in between bursts of conversation.
Once at Carol’s Pat managed to stay awake long enough to meet Rick and Peter. They had been out for a night of fellowship with a Christian organisation called Partners. After brief introductions and more coffee, she went to bed.
Her time was more beneficial than she could ever have imagined as she learned about this amazing family. They were real and open, but generally very positive. Peter had become blind early on, but it hadn’t stopped him learning to ski; playing the saxophone or doing most other things that seeing people could do. Sadly he had reached an age where he spent most of his time in a wheelchair watching family movies and asking Pat to describe what was happening in them.
Every day Carol could be found lifting her eyes up to the Rocky Mountains. She spent her quiet time in that same spot reading her Bible and praying. Every day she seemed greatly strengthened after this time.
Pat returned home and within months of her return Peter had gone Home. She knew she would never forget him. His attitude to life had impacted her own tremendously. She had found a new life in which she had learned to embrace her pain.
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