Heaven is Tomorrow, Madrid Time

You will be most remembered by what you worry about, but more importantly, by what brings you most joy.

A young man's alarm is about to wake him up, 4:30am California time. His suitcase may or may not be packed and shut. After all three hours of sleep; a Saturday night birthday party with limousine ride, romping Sacramento's mid-town's Second Saturday Art Walk and saying his good-byes could mean that something doesn't arrive to Spain after all. But, who cares, as long as he does?

BILLETE ELECTRÓNICO
RECIBO DEL ITINERARIO DE PASAJERO

A mother in a lime green kitchen has listened to the parish bells call for mass twice. All the balcony doors are opened as if smiling and look past geraniums of every color to see that yesterday's clouds have raced to the mountains and the sun is shining. Colorful tissue paper flowers sway in the gentle morning breeze. They match the same colorful streamer she sent to the young man for his 16th birthday two months ago and she noticed that his is hanging across his window in the same way.
It's 11am Spanish time and 2am California time and she sends him this private message:

Morning Mark!!!
The morning air is fresh and clear with the street-sweeper and early risers passing by below your window. The birds are chirping and bells tolling your arrival! Are you READY!!!!????

She packs an overnight case, snacks for the road, and a picnic dinner to eat once she and Spanish dad arrive. It's a three and a half hour drive to Madrid. But, still, it's impossible to tell if she will eat. Excitement has gotten the best of her. Breakfast was some cut up melon. She bought three remembering her boy's favorite fruit. 

She glances at the clock for the hundredth time, always mentally calculating west coast time and sees it's almost time. 

SACRAMENTO 14JUL 0805
DALLAS FORT WOR HORA DE LLEGADA: 1330

DALLAS FORT WOR  14JUL  1745    
MADRID BARAJAS   HORA DE LLEGADA: 1005

Skype. Morning mom, a drowsy voice answers:
Mom, I'm getting in the shower. Let's talk again in fifteen.

Fifteen, twenty minutes pass and skype rings. Skype - mom's best friend, hands down. Sweet, save-the-day daughter and her boyfriend are there to take her son to the airport. We all go over the suitcase wish-list and the flight again. He's rolling his eyes, especially as she says all those things a mom says. Sweet daughter rolls her eyes, too, but lovingly and good-humouredly at mom's insistence on details. So mom relaxes. She thinks how independent and well-seasoned a traveler her daughter is, not only having maneuvered all manner of US and European roads, buses, and flights, but walking the Camino to Santiago last March.  She's knows she's sure to give the best advice to her younger brother on his fist solo flight.

Boy, oh my boy, it's a good thing they also have some traveling to do and business to take care of over the next twenty-four plus hours, because otherwise the waiting would be interminable.
Getting ready, two different sides of the world.