Who is with you on this Journey?

I am sitting here in the international airport, alone. Waiting for a long-anticipated trip to Mexico with my hubby. He realized last night that his passport expired a couple of months ago. It could have easily been me - I only checked my expiration date for the first time last night wondering when I could replace that awful mugshot.

Really the only thing to take away from this is how much I value Jeff and wish he were here. What good is a trip to tropical paradise without your love or friend? There are always personal retreats, which are so important - but I had one of those last weekend, afterall. This trip I wanted to reconnect, laugh, and build memories that will last us through the next inevitable rough patch.

As I sit here, I'm reminded of one of our family's favorite picture books, that was given to us by my dear friend Jenna's parents. It's called The Three Questions, and it's based on a story by Tolstoy.  The Boy asks: What is the best time to do things? Who is the most important one? What is the right thing to do? It's a story parents find profound - and kids enjoy the tale.

Who is the most important one? The one by your side. The one with whom you long to reconnect. The friend that you need. In our age of hundreds of facebook friends, I can spend hours responding to people who are connected to my life. But they are not the most important one.

Jeff should be on a flight tomorrow night. I miss him already. Who is with you on this Journey? Who is the most important one?