The Connected Summer that Was (almost but not as planned).

Edna and I in a Melbourne cafe, hard at work on our new workshop.

So this post should have been titled ‘A Connected Summer’ or ‘ Learning Connections’ ..something cheesy like that. Little did I know my holiday would change in a blink of an eye. Or in this case one mis-step. Literally.

I had started off my holiday on a great note visiting with friend @whatedsaid  face to face for the second time while working on an awesome new workshop on global connections. It was great to see her again. Very inspiring. I also got to put a face to a twitter handle when I had coffee with Alan Thwaites @athwaites  on twitter. Nice tweetup. He lives down the road from me in Melbourne, Australia. Anyhow this summer I had plans. Big plans. I was going to Canada and the USA on holiday for work for the IBO and also was going to  to meet up with many tweeps like the dudes from #satchat fame  🙂 @ScottRRocco @wkrakower  @bradmcurrie in New York City (I think they were buying me dinner at some swanky expensive NYC restaurant so Ill take a raincheck)But also COETAIL buddy @chezvivian, #Kinderchat peep, fellow Vancouver Canucks maniac and friend @MauiMickey  and  someone Ive longed to meet face to face because I read his awesome blog on a regular basis Pair-a-Dimes for your Thoughts by  @datruss  in Vancouver.

That didn’t happen.

The suspect

My mom had a freak accident, fell down some stairs at a store in Melbourne, broke her pelvis, had a heart attack and other complications but she is doing ok now so far.  It was very frightening. Anyhow, I had to cancel my trip. I had to cancel on friends, Tweeps and family expecting me and they were so very kind and understanding. They know who they are.

So its strange because  I still feel that this is still such a ‘connected summer’…Ive had many tweeps, friends, family members send their best regards on social media for my family and got me thinking wow how cool is that! People whom Ive never met wishing my mother well. Friends wishing us well. I feel very thankful  for that and  extremely humbled. Social media played a big role as well in relaying these kind words  and encouragement to someone who needed them.

In the end, I know my friends in Canada will be there next time, those connections will still be there to meet face to face and cities, tourist attractions will always be there …but sadly ageing parents wont. Not going on the trip has turned out to be one of the best decisions Ive ever made I think, even at the initial pushback from my stubborn father (who doesn’t read my blog anyhow so I can say that) :).  But this extra time being here we have spent supporting mom and dad have made a difference, I can tell. Being with the grandkids especially. And I also realised that maybe I didnt  just stay for them…

I stayed for me and thats ok too.

Grandpa and Grandkids play a board game