Cherries

At Moody Bible Institute, today is not just Friday. Today is Friday topped with the most lovely, red cherry you've ever seen, that is, if you like cherries. If not cherries, then your favorite sweet treat! Today is the Friday that begins the much-needed, long-anticipated 2-week Spring Break. The sky is a complimentary blue today with sunshine and a touch of warmer temperature in the air. But what's most perceptible about the air today is that it seems lighter, freer, sweeter.

I remember this day last year when Neal and I were grad students at Wheaton. We had the car windows down on the way to the airport, I had a green-floral spring scarf thrown around my neck, and My Antonia by Willa Cather stashed in my suitcase for reading at the beach that would have nothing to do with analyzing my psyche or anyone else's.

We had the vacation of our life that week, Neal and I did. Full sun and mid-80s everyday, coaxing us to live at the beach from 11am-6pm daily. And live we did. And refresh, and restore, and slather on SPF 50. And thank God profusely for blessing us with such a place to truly and deeply "break" and experience "spring."

A few weeks into January this year, Neal started looking up plane tickets and dates, hoping to secure another week in Naples for us, even as we spent our days visiting GI specialists to neurosurgeons, filling useless prescriptions, drawing blood, and paying for that hospital parking deck one too many times. Finally we realized that while the calendar was going to offer us a spring break, my health was not offering the same.

The saying, "Life's a bowl of cherries; it's up to you to decide what to do with the pits," might describe our spring break this year. While we're saying no to this:


we're saying yes to this:


We realized that while my health does not allow us to get away, staying home in Chicago could give us the opportunity to explore all those little nooks in the city and her neighborhoods that we've been talking about visiting. While we continue to persevere through the trials we're experiencing this year, we're really excited to get to know our city better, and I will share our discoveries with you in photos and stories, or maybe in person if you come to visit!

As a closing note, Neal got an email the other day from his Grandpa Anderson in Florida saying that our Naples getaway spot is currently experiencing all-time low, chilly temperatures. Smile.