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| It felt like 30 minutes between these 2 graduations |
Kip doesn't see a problem. Kip sees a challenge. Kip doesn't worry about anything. Or if she does, she is the world's best hider of worry. We've always said that Kip lives in a sunshine & skittle land, full of rainbows and happiness. That is a pretty wonderful place to live. I think when I grow up, I want to be Kip.
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| This doesn't really fit here, but it's so darn cute, you had to see it. |
She has this architect degree, and a passion for "more". She surprised us all, by deciding she was going to do this 11 month, 11 country mission trip.. starting in September. She will carry a pack, with all her wordly possessions, and trek in third world countries for almost a year. She will live in a tent (that she carries in her pack), sleep on a sleeping bag/mat on the ground (that she carries in her pack), and survive in 5 sets of clothes for 11 months (have I mentioned she is carrying all this stuff in her pack?). This is the girl that has a different pair of earrings for every outfit. And looks like a zillion bucks every time she steps out of the house. Going to live out of a backpack. In 5 outfits. No cellphone. In South Africa. I'm so jealous.
To follow her, here is her site http://kipdeaton.theworldrace.org/
The first question I asked was not "How much does it cost?" or "How do you get there?" or "Where is it you are going"... it was "Can I go with you?" and I was pretty dead serious. I think this is the time in her life when she is free and basically unencumbered to go do the things that all of us dream of doing, and never quite have the gumption to do. Kip looks at life so differently than her gold sister and I do. I see bills, and work, and responsibilities, but Kip sees it, as this is my life, my vacation, my opportunity, and I will figure it out as I go. That is courage. Faith. Willingness. Three things that I am so glad this middle daughter of mine has in abundance.
And humor. I really am not sure how she is going to get 11 months of Frosted Flakes in that backpack, because none of her teammates are going to want to be around her in the morning without her Frosted Flakes. But I have no doubt, she will figure it out. In her calm, assured way she figures everything out.
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| Kip has always known how to rock a pair of sunglasses |
I remember how, right after her dad & I divorced, she had the summer stay with him. We tried to break the summer into weeks (one week with him, one week with me), and we figured out pretty quick that we had to do our weeks, Friday to Friday, because Kip couldn't handle coming home on a Sunday, and me being gone. She loved her ole mom. She needed that mom/Kip time. So now, the tables have turned, I'm not sure how I'm going to make it with her gone 11 months. She's always been within 10 minutes of me her whole life (except for her 2 Europe trips made with school) and in the excitement of planning, I haven't allowed myself to project that far out, because if I do, I think my heart will explode. But I know that she is going to journey into life changing experiences, and one day very soon, I am hoping that one of these adventures includes her ole mom.
My beautiful daughter, you are 23 years old today, and the rest of your precious life lies in front of you. What you have, is an entire life of opportunity. God has BIG AMAZING plans for you, my creative, loving, adventurous daughter. Get out there and do your thing.... you've got nothing but great things ahead. Stay in God's pocket, where you have planted yourself your whole life, and there is NOTHING, I repeat, NOTHING, that will stop you... (except missin your ole mama.) And for that...we have Skype. Do they Skype in South Africa? We need to figure this out.
Kipster Queen, you know what I mean.....I love you big and forever.
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