Dr. Kelley has been trying to put down into more succinct words what happened to her that day in Jerusalem. Sometimes it’s when she’s washing dishes that she sees things more clearly and objectively. She realizes this as she examines her relationships: from boyfriends, to best girlfriends, to colleagues, to family…just people in general from her past.  She feels less….not intolerant perse,  but less inclined to immediately respond to any type of stimuli around her. She’s able to acknowledge that people will be people. There is no need to make up “stories” as to what the other person could be thinking, is thinking, or will be thinking. She’s more conscious of and focuses instead on their behaviors.  As a learned student of psychology, she recognizes that boundaries can and will get blurred.

Yet, something DID happen to her in Jerusalem that day and she is just now focusing on her lessons about not putting anything or anyone above that transformation.   She’s absolutely certain now that God spoke to her.  He strengthened: her resiliency, her responses, her weaknesses,  her overall being.   Sadie wishes everybody to be happy, everybody to have peace, and lately, she’s been aware (as she smiles) that she is less judgmental of others, she is less “I wonder-why-they-did-that- of others.” She is just focusing on their behaviors and core values and if they don’t mesh with hers, she is rethinking ALL of her relationships.

The only relationship that matters the most to her is that which began in her mother’s womb years ago. That bond was validated as she walked about Old Jerusalem and yet again a few days later as she visited the Virgin Mary’s home at Ephesus, Turkey.   She felt God’s Holy Spirit imbue the discernment of detaching from people and objects and realizing that it’s the ETERNAL attachment that matters (as we are reminded in Philippians 4:3-14.)

She is thrilled about her future and will continue to relive those moments as she edits her latest novel.  She has come to the realization that at this very moment, she is exactly where she is meant to be.  Still, she looks back at those amazing 18 days on her cruises and she thanks God for her sister Maricela inviting her on their journey.   Oh yes, and also for that newfound friend from Gambia (Gibbi) whom she knew she would meet.   She recalls how as she walked onto the Odyssey of the Seas that crisp late May morning, she smiled and uttered to herself, “You are going to meet somebody on this cruise, Sadie.” And that she did.

“Should I discuss this with my Doc as I visit him next week…hmmmmm…”

You see, Dr. Kelley decided to speak to Doc Adame, a fellow swimmer who “just happened” to be a psychiatrist. Their bond at the pool turned into a professional relationship and it’s been quite a splash…to say the least…

(To be continued)