I was privileged recently to return to the United States during the month of October.  Most of the trip was TAD so I traveled alone, and my family remained here in Guam.  Even though I knew it would be quite lonesome without my loved-ones, I was none-the-less, looking forward to experiencing the cooler weather in Washington, DC and seeing the soothing palette of colors the leaves create on the skyline as they loosen their grip on sleeping branches. 

   I must say, I was not disappointed in the fall display of colors, nor was I the least bit uncomfortable in the crisp air of autumn.  Moreover, since I had grown up in Virginia, I found myself near some old friends and my extended family.  Everything was in place for a delightful time in the States, but something wasn’t quite right.

   I loved the beauty of my surroundings, but I missed my bride and I missed my children.  I missed the familiarity of colleagues I knew and trusted, and the sense of purpose that comes only in the daily mixture of people working together to help others.  I was gainfully employed in the States, but I was away from home.  I was learning helpful things, but I was away from challenge.  By the time my visiting was over, I was more than ready to come home.

   Twenty some hours in a flying steel tube was a small price to pay for the sight I saw in the airport when I arrived.  My family waiting for me made the balmy air of our tropical island more delicious than many autumns.  Likewise, the joy of seeing friends and colleagues in our hospital made me keenly aware of how much I have come to trust and depend upon our hospital family for deep meaning in my profession.

   How often do we create visions of beauty in our fantasies?  We dream of far off places and carefree climes.  We seek to leave the present reality of life in order to bask in the wonder of our dreams.  But what we often find is that our deepest sense of joy is steeped in the boiling pot of all of our realities.  It is in the day to day tasks and challenges of life that we learn to trust, that we learn to share and that we learn to love.