The close of a chapter

Over 7 years ago we bought a small camping trailer brand new...right off the lot (actually we had one ordered so we could get the fabric we wanted).

We have loved this camper and have had many good times in it.

We called it "Tommy" (Hannah's)..."Lil" (Pete's)...and "Willy" (mine) each time we drove by it where we had it stored.

Due to our current "economic state", we decided it was time to sell our beloved trailer.

So, yesterday Pete listed it on Craig's List at about 11 am. We had not done anything to prepare the trailer...to clean it up...take anything out. We imagined it would take awhile for it to sell and we could bring it home this weekend to get it ready.

Boy were we wrong....it was sold for our asking price within a couple of hours. Pete brought it home and started the process of cleaning it out. I stopped by the store on the way home to get some storage bins and started helping when I got home. I cried....it was sad. However, there is also a sense of relief. We couldn't really afford to go camping right now and we still had to pay to store it. We had really outgrown it in some ways too...we were only a family of 4 when we got it. Maybe we can get an end of the year deal on a tent so we can still have some camping fun.

We delivered it to the family that bought it and was greeted by a very excited almost 3 year old little boy who jumped up and down saying "we have a camper, we have a camper". They were so excited about it.

I left a note to the family wishing them as much joy as we have had in the trailer. I also did a little note inside a cabinet with a Sharpie that states that "The Yost family loved "Tommy", "Lil", "Willy" from 3/03 to 7/10".

It was much easier to leave it than I thought it was going to be. I was so proud to be able to show them the rails and the ladder my dad made and was even more proud when I heard my husband recommend winterizing the trailer (don't fall over Mom and Dad) and him showing him the bypass that my dad installed to help with the process.

We will miss that trailer...but know that it will be loved by the family that bought it. I also know that I can make the mortgage and pay for the kid's sports this fall.

Bye Willy....thanks for fun!!!

***The ad actually helped us connect with an old friend that would never return Pete's calls - cause he is a slacker :). As we were getting the trailer ready, Pete got ANOTHER call about the trailer....or so we thought. The guy says "I hear you have a crappy trailer to sell...I bet it is really a piece of crap...I bet the owner didn't take care of it and I hear he is a real jerk". Then he laughed and Pete knew exactly who it was....his friend Jay. He is actually looking for a trailer in the price range we listed it at and saw the ad. He thought it looked like ours but then knew for sure when he saw Pete's name and number. As we said goodbye to one "friend" we were reconnected with another....life goes on.***

Stunned

Last night my husband got a call from a very good friend's sister (this person is who my husband considers his best friend).

She told him that this friend is in the hospital....a mental hospital.

Apparently this friend has suffered from schizophrenia for many years.

We had no idea.

My prayers go out to his friend and his family. My heart aches for my husband who is second guessing his interactions with his friend and wondering how he can help. I pray that he finds the right words and that he will be an anchor for his friend.