“The best antidote I know for worry is work. The best cure for weariness is the challenge of helping someone who is even more tired. One of the great ironies of life is this: He or she who serves almost always benefits more than he or she who is served.”
~ Gordon B. Hinckley ~

As we have dropped to “The Oasis” for a few days, I had to think where these photos are from! Some from a little Chapel dedicated to departed Children called “Santo Nino de Atocha”. A Chapel I try to visit once a year and bond closer with Lance that day. The other ones are from “Three Rivers Petroglyphs” where we also have camped in the past. All in New Mexico…

One candle for Lance… I light one for my Mother here at “The Oasis”.

Need, needy are indeed big words with powerful ramifications within their meanings. They also mean we are the recipients of "help", an aspect which comes in so many forms. As so much living an isolated Life [sometimes!], independent, self sufficient even if with half a brain at times, I always need help at one time or another. We all do. It could be mental, physical, spiritual, mechanical, sometimes financial when unwillingly Plan B cannot exist, more. We cannot live without each other. It is not a possibility. It is a fact I have discovered these past years. We want to. We think we can. We cannot. Even if it is not Human help it is often a push from Mother Nature. Today is a beautiful day as we move on South on 285 and already in New Mexico. A few puffs of clouds amongst the blue skies, the wind is mild and so is the temperature, I have to say… it is perfect. That is "help". We sat in Glacier a couple years ago, those are times I will never forget as it hailed for three days with freezing winds and "that" was no help at all. It forges character, a road personality, yet, we always also think we have enough of that!

And Dogs also…

Luckily all things must pass and help arrives for us, for many in the various forms it can take. There are a lot of kind people out there even if not portrayed as such by the media news which I glance at maybe once a week. I only want to make sure we are spinning the right way. Most of us do not want help. I know deep down I myself do not. It is a matter of pride, false pride? We want to be as stated above self sufficient and most of us are but it is never enough, never will be enough. We just cannot do it all. We are intelligent Human forms and often the rate of help needs to be paid. That is the reason everyone has a different job. A few years back after a major mechanical failure it meant at the time for financial reasons that our Journey was over which I stated here on these pages. Instead, donations poured in. I even had to stop them. I felt amazed, at the same time I felt bad, guilty, embarrassed. Someone then on asked me "Do you like to help? Do you take pleasure in helping others?". "Of course" I replied as he then on said "Why don’t you allow others the same pleasure?". It all made sense at the time, yet today, Plan B is of a reality. Just in case.

Some days past were of despair navigating in a black tunnel with no light ahead while all pitch black and nails scraping the raw unfinished cement. A call from a Friend, a few words sent through emails, a visit, a hug, all is help to turn the lights back on and once again make Life visible. Such help is a breath of fresh air in our Life and I never turn it down besides maybe those really bad days as a Birthday, a Father Day, even Holidays when the mind just goes on and on never catching up with the present while stuck in the past in a deep pain when only time will heal that passage towards the next day. "Not today" are then the words. My Friends understand as I also understand their own days as such sometimes as most of us have those Human losses with mile markers throughout the year which deeply stirs us up.

Sharing is another form of help. I always try to. Whether it is a meal, a pair of boots I never used, could be a helmet, could even be just a cup of coffee. I like to pass on when I can what I have received as I have received indeed much and seeing a smile, feeling a well being across from me, well, that is the big worth of it all when I can repay my own past and present help. A close and true Friend of mine [Thank You!] unknowingly has lately helped me a lot. She is on the road full time after experiencing her own family tragedy and while we camped together for a few nights I understood what has been filling her days besides riding. Museums, following one road throughout the country [Highway 6 in her case], goals while on the road, attractions. It seems that since my Mother passed away much changed within me even while being on the road. I turned solely towards Mother Nature’s contemplation as there is much more I had set aside, forgot. Witnessing her own doings made me realize I had indeed overlooked the many attractions which daily takes place. I use to do a lot of geographical research, geological, history of the land, of the people and now again all of it is becoming a renewed attraction. I think what I am trying to say is the fact that whatever you do, you will never know how it can help others while sharing it.

So it is a nice morning today while camping in "Valley of Fire" near by Carrizozo in the middle of much lava! Last night’s storms filled with thunder, lightning, much winds and rain have passed by and who knows, maybe they will come back today. I think we will go to town, one of my favorite little towns, walk around. Maybe push to Three Rivers where more than 20,000 Petroglyph are present and on to this little Chapel dedicated to departed Children we visited a couple years ago. Santa Nino de Atocha. Too early to tell in the day yet. It is calm and peaceful here, deserted and quiet. Quite a change from our stay in Colorado. We shall probably be back at The Oasis on Sunday for a few days before we head out again…

East and West… Our first Sunset at The Oasis!

Stay well…
                Ara and Spirit