I am 97 years old and never expected this, nor that I would outlive Lenette. Life is full of mysteries. Knowing we were meant for each other was the first “happening.” There were so many others that when I shared our stories, I had to ask, “What control do we have over our lives?”
I use the word serendipity often. It may well be one of my favorite words. Why? Because I seriously believe that Lenette and I have lived serendipitous lives. Our meeting, for example. She had a job, one she liked. What possessed her to ask about a camp philosophy? And how do we account for a disciplined showhorse throwing Lenette into my arms?
There’s more. A massive typhoon in the Pacific Ocean teaches me that I do not fear death. Three Japanese prisoners showed me how to be a leader. The captain on Okinawa gave me an intelligence test that encouraged me to go to college. Purple Sage, its success and fame in LA.
But fate and events continued to dictate. Lenette and I becoming one, our loving GI home, the loss of a baby, and Jeff coming into our lives. Becoming lost in Northern California, then encountering a drunk who sent us to the man who sold us the Shasta property. A year of heavy rains which kept this lumberman from cutting down any trees at what became Camp Shasta.
Lenette’s dream of a Youth Hotel in Las Vegas becoming a reality. The Lake Tahoe misadventure and how addressing a group of dentists led to lectures and workshops nationwide. The quality people I was blessed to work with. Our spiritual experience in Mexico and our trips worldwide. Becoming an author and, best of all, spending 70 years with Lenette.
My explanation for these life-changing occurrences and events? Serendipity!
