For the last few years in the months of January and February, we have been blessed to be in Cyprus where our daughter is on staff with a ministry. Yesterday was her birthday. I am so happy that we could spend time together on this special day.

This year is special because Wayne’s sister, brother-in-love, and their daughter are here visiting Cyprus with us. They live in China and made a big hop over to the Mid East for a visit. It is so much fun to see the island with new eyes. How we have enjoyed showing them some of our favorite scenic spots and restaurants.

And it was really nice to have a meal together at The Mill in Kakopatria, Cyprus, for our daughter’s birthday. It is an ancient village, about 500 years old, that has been partially  restored. Still there are many quaint mountain village-y spots and homes and winding narrow roads of cobbled stone. There is a large creek that runs through the village, and the restaurant and hotel are located on its banks.

Our daughter is 23 now. Hard to believe. She is learning to shoulder a load of responsibility and becoming quite a young lady. She always inspires me to embrace life fully, to laugh, to enjoy the moment, and to love family and community. She is one of God’s greatest gifts to her father and me.

As a mother, I am feeling closer than ever to her yet holding her life in an open palm. I treasure the moments yet sense they are fleeting and fragile. The movement of time will bring change that will demand a shift in new directions. Life won’t always be like this. It is a wonderful thought and a sad one.

And that understanding brings me to a grateful heart. I am thankful for today, for my daughter, my husband, my family, and work that takes me around the world. Today we celebrated a beautiful life on a special birthday. The memory of this moment will linger.

As person who has traveled extensively internationally and seen the desperate human condition in the world and in myself,  I tend to weigh in on the sober side of life and shun senseless frivolity. I am not being hyper-spiritual here, because I shun that too. Sincerely. But there is joy and celebration in the journey of rescue and mission that propels us forward. And sometimes, just sometimes, “Eat, drink, and be merry for tomorrow we die” is in perfect order.

And that is just what we did.