Tempting Fate

I don't really believe in Fate.

I believe in purpose. I believe in prophesy. I believe in luck. I believe in agency. I believe in a plan. I believe in happenstance. I believe in coincidence. I believe in tender mercies.

I believe in common sense and listening to reason and consequence to action but Fate?

No. Not really.

If I did, then I don't think I'd ever go anywhere. Fate, if she exists, seems to be telling me to stay home. But, that isn't what I chose, so here I am, away from where Fate wants me...taunting her.

I'd been planing on using the time Seth is out of school, to travel and visit my sister, my brother and my friends in our former, much loved northwest paradise. But then I heard my brother and sister in-law were going to be gone the weekend I wanted to visit (I never did get around to asking them so if they are reading this, it's news to them. No worries. Have fun on the cruise!), my cell phone disappeared, my minivan started acting up with the tire pressure indicator repetedly coming on and the brakes acting slightly funny, my phone messages left for people to have all the correct information for flyers to the ward party were never returned and I discovered Seth's break wasn't as long as I originally thought and all previous plans had to be thrown out for new ones. It was enough to make me wonder if maybe, just maybe, I shouldn't go on my road trip.

I adjusted my itinerary, borrowed Jay's cell phone (because the only person he calls is me, and I never call him as he has no reception in the hospital), took my car in to get fixed Monday morning, and unfortunately for Jay, left him with the ward party mess.

And...so far so good. I'd knock on wood...but I don't believe in that sort of thing either.

If Fate thought it'd be a good idea for me to stay home during Seth's break, she is really trying to boss me into not going out of the country next month. She's been plotting this little coup for some time now, but I continue to ignore her.

First of all, I always figured living close to family was going to make this trip easier because I'd have help with my kids. But, soon after we firmed up the actual dates we would travel, my sister-in-law, who I had assumed would watch my boys if I could somehow woo, extort or repay with a counter offer to watch her children for an equal amount of time, announced her pregnancy and due date to be the exact week of our trip (I never did get around to asking her so if she is reading this, it's news to her. No worries. So excited about my future niece!).

I knew that also eliminated my mother-in-law, as she'd be helping with my sister-in-law's family after the birth, and all my other family members work during the day. So, I adjust. My current plan is to ask someone in my ward with one baby (there are like 10-20 such families) to watch Sam and Henry during the day and simply pay them for their efforts. Jay decided to take a week off of work so I actually only need to hire someone for three, maybe four work days. Doable.

Then came the visa and passport problem. But that wasn't anything a couple of hundred of extra dollars couldn't fix. Of course, after that further investment, the protests started in Myanmar. Suddenly, the three of us were wondering if a country on the brink of civil war was really the best place for a vacation. I don't know if any of you have continued reading the news, but reports are sketchy. No one really knows what's going on. We have been able to talk to our parents, and they feel that the revolt is over and it's safe to come. Of course, they also have no access to the internet (only email...which I now send my blog to...but not this one because they think perhaps their emails might be being censored...and my sister, Sarah, is convinced they'll read my blog and consider me hostile to their country and seek to silence me I happen to think that the military junta has more to worry about than one stay-at home woman visiting her missionary parents. Like...say....about 50 million people wishing someone different was in charge...but better safe than sorry.)

At the minimum, we decided we'd go to Thailand and if it wasn't safe, then we would stay there, bask on warm beaches and ride elephants and skip the showdown for democracy. But then, the flight we had tickets on to Thailand was cancelled. The company offered us seats on a flight a day earlier, two days later or a full refund.

The refund was tempting. We asked ourselves, "is this Fate telling us not to go?" But Fate, for all her conniving and scheming, needs more than childcare, money, and civil unrest to keep me down. I have tickets, and I will travel.

We are going for many reasons. A vacation, a warm place to forget the cold, a visit to beloved parents. But a major reason is that all of us want to see the people, the conditions, and the beauty of Myanmar. My mother told me that when she thinks of us coming, she thinks of the poem I put on my blog about the holes in streets and choosing different streets. She told me that every street has holes, and there is no alternative. I like the analogy and I am really looking forward to seeing the beautiful children of God that my parents have had the stewardship of helping this last year.

As for Fate?

Na, na, na, na, na, na.

edited to say that after that whole paragraph about not sending this to my parents' email, I forgot to edit my settings and sent it to them anyway. So...if something questional happens and I'm detained or something, send help.

Physical - Tempo/OIP/Half frogs
Spiritual - 2 NE chapters 19-23
Work - made bed, tidied room, did morning dishes (it's a lot easier when you're a visitor!)
Nuturing - open gym at gymnastics place. Very fun.