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While I was on a walk, I noticed some dark things on the road. As I approached, I found one sock, a couple of steps and I found the other sock. A few more steps and there they were… a pair of new black Gucci shoes!!! I picked them up and took them home.

Just like Cinderella's sisters, I squeezed my foot into the Gucci shoe. It felt snug—it was my shoe size—but somehow the shoe did not fit me as well as my own shoes.

With my foot inside someone else's shoes reminded me of my wonderful friend who was the outgoing president of a women's organization. After many years of service, she was training the lady who would follow in her footsteps: ME.

As her previous secretary, I saw her lead, love and serve the ladies under her stewardship for many years. She had a special connection with each one of them. She has so many qualities I admire.

It was a humbling experience to be asked to serve in the same position after her. I was so overwhelmed to follow such an amazing lady. "How am I ever going to be able to fill your shoes?" I asked her.

I still remember—we were sitting in my living room. She took one of her shoes off, and said, "See this? It is molded to me; it has my footprint marked because I've used it for years. It is my shoe. It is not for you to wear my shoes. You have your own shoes, and you will walk in them to create your own footprints."

Each one of us has our own shoes to fill. Some of us walk in sandals or slippers. Some of us walk in boots or flats. Maybe we wear high heels or Gucci shoes. I guess what I'm trying to say—our journeys may look different and have different comfort levels, perhaps our kids are on different levels on the autism spectrum, but we all wear “shoes” as we walk in this path called life.

The more I learn about autism, and about some of you personally or via zoom, or email, or phone calls, the more I realize that we all walk different journeys. My shoes will not fit yours and yours will not fit me, but because we are parents or caregivers on similar journeys, we understand. We get it. We can support and encourage each other, and even dream together, right?

I am glad you are here!

Oh, and if you are wondering what I did with the Gucci shoes… My neighbor had called me to ask if I could go look for them. Her daughter put the shoes on the top of their car. They drove for two hours when they realized the shoes were missing. The Gucci's are back with the young lady who spent quite a bit of money on them.

Not judging her at all. I love shoes too. But for me, I would rather spend that money on travel! How about you?

What if you fell asleep, and when you wake up, you are in one of your dream vacation spots. Then you fall asleep again, and when you wake up, you are in a different dream vacation spot. When you are hungry, delicious food is made for you—no cooking or dirty pots. If you get out of your bedroom, magically, when you go back to your bedroom, your bed is made, your bathroom is clean, and you don't have to worry about dirty dishes in the kitchen, or vacuuming or dusting…

What if you could be treated like royalty?

Because of all of this and more, I got hooked on cruises more than 25 years ago.

Why can cruises be a great choice for your family?

Now, you may wonder about how to make it work for your family? What if your family needs respite care or assistance during a cruise? Do you need wheelchairs, including chairs that can go on sand? Need something else?

Nowadays all of that and more can be accessible to your family with some help. Cruise lines are ready for families impacted by autism, but you need to know who to speak with to get all of this set up. That's a great reason to talk with a travel designer that is an experienced cruiser who is autism certified.

Do you have any questions or would like to explore cruise possibilities? Call me! I'm here for you!💙⛴️

The women's group I was talking about (above) is a large worldwide women's organization that focuses on charity and bringing women to Christ. The local church leader calls women to serve as a president. It is a fulfilling but demanding volunteer position. We call it a "calling."

After serving for several years as the president, I learned to love and serve these women with all my heart and soul.

Then my turn came to train the next president. An incredible, beautiful, bubbly lady. One of those who when she enters, brightens up a room. She's sunshine! And yet, when I "handed her my ladies," gosh—it was one of the hardest thing to do. How would someone else care for my church sisters?

These ladies were part of my life. Each one special to me. From the ones I prayed for, to the ones I visited. The ones I cooked for, to the ones I planned their funerals for. Each one enriched my life deeply.

I had to trust that this new leader would pick up where I left off. Handing over that responsibility was a relief, yet, for the first few weeks I still worried about some of "my ladies."

To the new president, I wrote her a letter—even before I knew who she was—I made a list of my concerns for certain ladies and showed her where to find the materials she would need to serve in this capacity. I left her with a box full of items and gave her the keys to the church building and our closets. It was hard to let go… and I wondered if she thought I was nuts for being so overly detailed and a bit over protective…

Isn't this how it feels when you hire your first babysitter? Your first respite care provider? or even leaving your child with family or friends… That pit in your stomach—you know what I'm talking about.

How can we prepare ourselves to leave our kids under someone else's care? Gosh that's hard!

Here are some tips that may be helpful as you prepare yourself and your kids when you need someone else to care for them temporarily.

Hand over your "box" like I did with my sisters—a list of concerns, keys to resources, and trust in their care. Check in post-sit, debrief, and adjust. You've got this.

You can email me back if you’d like this checklist so you can print it.

At Gathering Memories Travel, we design sensory and autism-friendly travel experiences that honor your family exactly as you are.

Because this isn't just my business. It's personal — because I'm a mom who gets it.

Ready to start planning the adventure your family deserves? Let's talk about what's possible for you. Book a complimentary discovery call and let's dream bigger together.

Let's build the confidence and the plan together.

Book a Travel Confidence Session — Let's talk about your family's travel dreams and build a personalized plan to get there.

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