Monroes cabin

We drove up the snowy, winding road towards healing

Excited but exhausted and grieving.

Grieving for what once was but has now slipped away from us.

With each turn in the road, we spied glimpses of the cozy healing cabin we would call home for the next week, the cabin tantalisingly kept flitting through the trees enticing us.

Seductively whispering to us to come forward, come into her warmth and her heart.

As we rounded the last turn in the road there she was standing lovingly welcoming us in to heal and regenerate.

The past 2 years have been emotionally draining on all of us.

6 months earlier our world shifted spun and turned chaotically upside down, our only child was critically injured in a road rage accident, and her injuries were substantial enough to need physiotherapy, to relearn how to walk and eat. Naturally, without thought, we took on what needed to happen for her healing and health, which included 2 children and 2 dogs and 1cat and her home.

As a widowed mum and now sole parent she has her fair share of weight to carry, and we have always supported her in every way we can.

The toll this has taken on our bodies and mental health is far more than e could have ever imagined.

The cabin is a god sent miracle, it found us at just the perfect time through a friend of a friend who sent through some photos and wanted someone to take over her week's vacation as work commitments were preventing her from getting away.

How could we accept this

The universe spoke. Within 3 mins of receiving the offer, our daughters-in-laws contacted her and were coming to stay at the end of the following week for 2 weeks to help out wherever they were needed.

The timing was so perfectly orchestrated that we grinned like the cat from Alice in wonderland

Just by being there, they were our god sent miracle.

Here we are walking into the embrace and feeling the heart of this beautiful cabin sighing, in 6 months we haven't had one moment of us time but now we do.

The cabin felt warm and safe, it felt as if it were hugging us as we collapsed onto the round well-padded sofa that fit so perfectly to our bodies the tension drained away.

My husband smiled and embraced me. "Let's sit here and enjoy watching the fire."

We woke to darkness the glow of the low fire our only light source.

Outside the deep darkness adds to the beautiful white silence.

"Best get some lights on and some food happening."

"My love did we bring everything in and did you lock the car?"

"Yes, and yes, don't worry we haven't forgotten anything and the kids are fine they are being played with and looked after by their other grandparents who love them as much as we do ."

"I nodded your right it's hard not to worry about things with the events of the past 2 years ."

He nodded reflectively.

"What's for dinner?"

Umm hot dogs

Perfect I'm starving we haven't eaten all day.

"You must be feeling better already you barely eat and haven't asked in months what's for dinner. "

"That's not the only thing on my mind but let's eat first so we have the stamina for dessert."

I couldn't help but giggle.

"See It's working on you too you haven't laughed since the accident. "

“How long do you think we slept for?”

“He shrugged it doesn't matter we have nothing else to do but enjoy this week “

We settled into the rhythm that only couples have that have been together for a long time.

35 years of marriage has given us insights into each other and how we feel.

"Relax my love she is okay, you have no need to pace”

” She has come through this tough time and she's exceeded her healing time. She can walk, talk and eat again her jaw is healed her legs are healed and her emotions are healing ."

"Relax and let yourself enjoy us"

He sighed as he hugged me “ always the carer and worrier”

"Okay let's both relax and enjoy our days together.

The sun rose early the light extraordinary I couldn't resist the light!

My camera was calling me.

Rugged up I stepped out into the crisp early morning air, hawks were looking for their morning meal, and other birds were singing in their muffled voices. The white landscape muffles everything.

Clicking away my heart began to swell and I felt my soul being nourished this is when I needed time to regenerate and create.

Creating with the grandbabies is a great experience but it's not adult creating and I need to be in my creative flow to be balanced and be at my best to contribute to others.

At that moment I froze

Muffled footsteps were they moving closer or away?

"Mornin Mam "

I jumped

“Oh hu hello "

"I'm the ranger here on this here mountain sorry if I startled yea "

"Are yea the couple staying in Monroe's cabin "

"Yep, that's us ."

"Nice to meet ya if ya need anything give me a hoot ."

"Thank you Ranger "

"The name’s Matt mam sorry fer my lack of manners my mam would clip me good for that. "

"Matt thank you, my name is Deb my husband is Frank ."

"Mam I will drop by tomorrow and give ya any updates on weather and news."

"Matt if you have time for coffee I will have the water boiling ."

"He tipped his hat with a grin I can't resist a good coffee and chinwag” He tipped his hat again and walked back the way he come ."

I smiled and the spring in my step as I headed back to the cabin told me I was indeed beginning to relax and heal. Frank was still happily sleeping without a 3-year-old snuggled up to him he was wing-spanning himself on the big country bed.

To say we aren't alone and are always being watched over and guided is an understatement.

My heart was full and glowing as I climbed back into the great big country bed to snuggle with.

This cabin is the magic that we needed to heal.

2 years earlier when we lost our son-in-law after a very quick illness was tough but this last half a yea has been tougher especially when it looked at times as if Lee was giving up with no fight left after so much grief and heartbreak, miraculously she woke after a short nap in the hospital with a renewed sense of purpose and life. Jared had spoken to her in her dream from that moment everything had changed.

Smiling I stretched and the wing span enfolded me.

“good morning my love “

That's how our day started for the remainder of the week.

Matt dropped in every day for a chinwag and coffee updating us on weather, snow reports, news and gossip.

Our life felt good again I even sold 4 photos of the hawks nesting and the light on the snow drifts with a promise to be back every year to supply more photos and art at the local store.

Frank ate like a horse and finally began to look healthy again and his vigour had returned.

Matt came to see us off. We exchanged numbers and emails to stay in touch and we booked the cabin for the following fall for all of us, we were bringing the kids and the grandparents next time.

10 months later we pulled up to the magical cabin and the kids squealed with delight. Alice and Ben pulled in behind us.

So much had changed in the past year, we had combined our money and purchased a farm that had 3 cabins for all of us to live separately but together and so Lee had the support she needed and the kids had us.

It had been a win-win situation with all of us working in one or another to support the farm.

Matt was waiting for us, with the fire stoked and the wood stacked his charm warmed everyone.

I greeted him with a giant hug.

This year the magic was Matts the instant chemistry between Matt and Lee was unmistakable.

My heart sang Lee blossomed and Matt beamed as they headed for the cabin chattering about everything.

Alice and Ben whispered this is what she needs a new love and a new life.

We nodded and headed for the cabin

Ahh, Monroes cabin your magic is even more potent this time.