Survival mode... that's what it felt like when they arrested a man for the murder of our first-born - 22 years after the fact.
As the trial loomed, we as a family knew that we had to prepare ourselves - a trial can be just as traumatizing as the murder itself - so we drove down to Kansas for a conference. The road trip down and the conference we attended was the best preparation we could have received - spiritually and emotionally - but it was the trip back that cemented us. The storm of the century blew in just as we were driving home - blowing snow, piercing snowflakes, glittering black ice, strong gusts - sending all the cars into the ditch.
It became so bad they were closing down the highway. We had a decision to make. Did we want to hunker down or drive through? It was unanimous, we couldn't spare the time – we wanted to get home.
We assessed. I assessed.
I remembered that after the Indigenous elder described the characteristics of the four personality quadrants on the medicine wheel, he said that even though all of us possess all four we each priories them differently. The secret he said, was to ask ourselves; "In what quadrant - body, mind, heart and spirit - do I live?"
Fascinating question! Where do you live?
Soon after that insight, I took a leadership course and learned that if you really want get something done, don't choose people who are similar but choose people who live out the four personality types and if you can get the four to work together in harmony - you can accomplish anything.
In our family we had all four personality types represented which meant we could do anything.
There were at least two main highway closures. Each time we would pull into a town, we would spill out into the rare store that was open on New Year’s Day and work the place. The locals would know where to go, so we needed to access local wisdom. Larry was good at talking to strangers – connecting. Syras was a wiz at the computer to get the official notification of closures. Odia would shop for sustenance to keep us awake. Natasha, was the mood moderator and enhancer. (It can get stressful in these moments of crisis.) Cliff looked after the vehicles, scraping the ice, filling up with gas and talking to the attendants for any advice. I prayed.
By the time we got back into the cars we knew which back road to take – who was driving – etc. It was working.
When we finally got to back home to Winnipeg, we heard that some people on the same trek as us had been stuck in Fargo, North Dakota, for days.
We were exhilarated and filled with a new confidence that as a family we could do anything - if we worked together. We were ready for the trial.
Happiness is when, what you think, what you say, (what you believe) and what you do are in harmony. - Mahatma Gandhi
As the trial loomed, we as a family knew that we had to prepare ourselves - a trial can be just as traumatizing as the murder itself - so we drove down to Kansas for a conference. The road trip down and the conference we attended was the best preparation we could have received - spiritually and emotionally - but it was the trip back that cemented us. The storm of the century blew in just as we were driving home - blowing snow, piercing snowflakes, glittering black ice, strong gusts - sending all the cars into the ditch.
It became so bad they were closing down the highway. We had a decision to make. Did we want to hunker down or drive through? It was unanimous, we couldn't spare the time – we wanted to get home.
We assessed. I assessed.
I remembered that after the Indigenous elder described the characteristics of the four personality quadrants on the medicine wheel, he said that even though all of us possess all four we each priories them differently. The secret he said, was to ask ourselves; "In what quadrant - body, mind, heart and spirit - do I live?"
Fascinating question! Where do you live?
Soon after that insight, I took a leadership course and learned that if you really want get something done, don't choose people who are similar but choose people who live out the four personality types and if you can get the four to work together in harmony - you can accomplish anything.
In our family we had all four personality types represented which meant we could do anything.
There were at least two main highway closures. Each time we would pull into a town, we would spill out into the rare store that was open on New Year’s Day and work the place. The locals would know where to go, so we needed to access local wisdom. Larry was good at talking to strangers – connecting. Syras was a wiz at the computer to get the official notification of closures. Odia would shop for sustenance to keep us awake. Natasha, was the mood moderator and enhancer. (It can get stressful in these moments of crisis.) Cliff looked after the vehicles, scraping the ice, filling up with gas and talking to the attendants for any advice. I prayed.
By the time we got back into the cars we knew which back road to take – who was driving – etc. It was working.
When we finally got to back home to Winnipeg, we heard that some people on the same trek as us had been stuck in Fargo, North Dakota, for days.
We were exhilarated and filled with a new confidence that as a family we could do anything - if we worked together. We were ready for the trial.
Happiness is when, what you think, what you say, (what you believe) and what you do are in harmony. - Mahatma Gandhi
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