The metal wall art was a wedding gift from Scott’s family.  Actually, they gave us a gift certificate and this was our choice.  We were married at the Essenhaus Covered Bridge in Middlebury, Indiana, and the gift certificate could be used at any of the shops located on the property.  Scott and I visited the shops several times subsequently for a special remembrance of our wedding day.  It was still cold weather when we decided to return for another look one Saturday afternoon. 

We leisurely wandered around, picking up several small items, and regrouped at the front in one of the shops.  As we reviewed what we were holding in our hands, there was nothing particularly significant about any one item, so we decided to put those back and focus on something special.  We spotted this metal wall piece standing behind a smaller picture and we both noticed the word “Journey” in the upper left corner.  Intrigued, we moved items out of the way so Scott could better reach it for a closer look.  We liked it immediately.  The phrase, “Your journey is your destination”, spoke to both of us as we stood there silently gazing at the words, lost in recollection of the steps that had brought us to this point in our lives, believing that finding one another was our mutual destination.  We smiled in happy unison as we agreed this was the perfect gift.

The words proved to be prophetic as we moved through days of bliss for the next two years until Scott’s sudden and unexpected move to heaven in 2011.  So began a different journey through grief, loss, and pain for the next few years.  Writing the book was part of that journey but also a new beginning, and my story continues.  The metal wall art remains a favorite piece in my home–bittersweet memories and a reminder of the truth the words convey.  My journey is not yet finished.