Monday May 25, Memorial Day, my husband, Brian, and I decided to do our favorite walk, Shoreline Park. We parked at the Breakwater and started our journey. It was a beautiful Santa Barbara day with barbecue smells in the air and loads of families, kids, and dogs everywhere enjoying being outside.
As we turned around after 45 minutes to head back, our ears caught a familiar sound then our eyes followed to see four military planes flying in formation over the city! It gave us chills to see that sight and feel the honor of what our military does to show their respect of the day we are celebrating.
We ended up at Dart Coffee and settled in overlooking the boats and harbor. A young woman was sitting next to us in front of her laptop and stopped working to begin talking with us. She had lived in the area a few years and worked for an Outreach program which helped people with substance abuse. She said she had been raised by a single mother who taught her that to have a fulfilling life, you reach out to others to help. We eventually said our goodbyes and wished her well.
We ended the day stopping at a friend’s home where we met another remarkable woman, Grace Fisher. We had heard of her story over the years but this was our first time meeting her. Another young woman who has rebuilt her life in helping others. Grace was looking forward to leading a group of dancers in our upcoming Summer Solstice Parade!
We headed toward home in silence feeling humbled by the day and these young women we encountered. Thinking about the fate of the future we didn’t hesitate but to feel “we’re going to be okay.”
