one year

It seems only appropriate that this past week was one of the busiest I can remember. It's like everything around here was conspiring to make me absolutely need a vacation, as I would fall absolutely exhausted into my bed every night not too long after dinner.

Thankfully, a vacation is exactly what I'm going to get.

Tomorrow the HoJ and I celebrate our first anniversary. I can't imagine where the months have gone, but at the same time it feels like we've been married forever. He fits me, this man, fills up all the spots in my heart where I'm not whole, and I can't think of anyone I'd rather have by my side on this crazy adventure.

And speaking of adventure, we're going to have one this week. We leave tomorrow to head to Ghana where we'll spend time visiting friends and relaxing at a hotel that bears no resemblance to a huge, steel box. We're going to hear wind and waves and rain on the roof. And I'm going to try my hardest not to think about the hospital.

That last one is going to be somewhat difficult. I stopped by A Ward earlier today to answer a question and almost had the breath knocked out of me by the force of Aissa's hug. She wrapped herself around my legs, squeezing as hard as she could, and when I bent down she threw her arms around my neck and kissed my cheek. She lifted up her dress and pointed to the place on her leg where her dressing was coming undone for the thousandth time, and I peeked underneath the peeling tape to see fresh, new skin already starting to turn brown as it healed.

It's going to be hard to stop myself from thinking of her while I'm gone, knowing all the time that she's getting closer and closer to leaving us, her future as bright as her eyes when she grins up and me and professes her love.

I'll do my best, and I'll see you all on the other side of next week.