The Journey

Almost 9 years ago, the Ozlanders started on a journey.  At the time, we had no idea where the journey would take us or how long it would be - we simply knew that we were doing the right thing in "coming home" to care for the man who gave life and love to five children and who now needed these very children to restore his.  

As March of 2010 dawned, Mr. Oz and I were busily making preparations to return to Louisville and restart our life there as we were soon completing a 3 year stint with the eldest at Howe Military. Excited for what the future would hold in our return to the place we loved dearly, a crack in the road of our journey suddenly appeared.  The phone call came in - exactly 9 years ago today - indicating  my father was in the hospital, ill with a significant infection.  Racing over from Howe Indiana, all seemed well....at least as well as could be.  Soon that would change as a medication reaction and the infection itself would create a perfect storm that would - just 24 hours later - make it evident that this illness was much more significant and that its impact on this man would require pretty extensive love and care - on site - in Toledo.  

Sometimes the detour is the path.  

With reservation (me, as I had watched Aunts and Uncles on both sides of the family take on family care and knew the toll it could take individually and on the family that Mr. Oz and I had built) and firm resolve (Mr. Oz, because to him, family was first and if Dad needed someone, we would be there, no questions asked), we waved goodbye to the path we were ready to set out on and took the detour and returned home. 

To be continued....