Weekend of Dads and Grads

Saturday started with an inspiring tour of Stoneybrook  in London Ontario and was followed by a great final afternoon session of the Leadership Institute.  A transformative moment in my life.  I was both glad it was over and so very sad to leave this community of deep thinkers, to leave this time I had to think deeply about myself as a leader, my job, my organization.   Deeply grateful.

Reminders

I took a last walk in a balmy 28 degrees to the Thames River, had a coffee and then called a cab and headed to London Airport.

London Airport on a Saturday afternoon

My flight left just before 8pm but as we flew west we chased the sun and so although there were many more clouds than there had been on my flight out, I did glimpse some pretty amazing sights from up there.  The sunset in Calgary was incredible - even my bad photos of it with my phone from a moving plane through the grimy window give a small sense of its glory.

By the time I got to Calgary at 11pm local time (2am body time with almost no sleep the night before) the 45 minutes sitting in the Westjet wing of the airport listening to perky and joking Westjet flight announcements was it's own special hell......" Ladies aaand Gentlemen Fliiiight Seven foooorty niiine to Saskatoooon is in final boarding...if you are Mr Kapingo you better hustle yourself down to gate D fooooorty eight for immmediate boarding........we need to get this boeing going" repeat, repeat, repeat. 

And then the flight was delayed.......because the crew had to get their Tim Hortons - I kid you not.  And then the plane was overfull and there was no room for the bags......I was almost in tears as we finally taxied to the runway.

So lovely to touch down in Vancouver and see my beloved and wish him a Happy Fathers Day at 1am in the morning!

A good but all too brief sleep and then up for Grad Sunday at church and Father's Day festivities.  David and his buddy Isaac were the two Grade 7 Grads at our church and were given gifts (including a shaving kit - be still my beating heart!!) and wished well for their highschool journey.

It was also our last Sunday at our church which was hard and sad - a long and sad story that led us to this point but trusting God has good things ahead and a new church family.

Allan and I talked a lot after church, sitting in the sunny backyard where the veggie garden is flourishing and we spied our first tomatoes  - we dialogued long and in depth about Leadership - funny how he and I are both students of leadership and its complexities and nuances and practicalities at the same time.  He knows so much more than I do and I was deeply grateful to start to order some of my thoughts and feelings from the Institute in talking it over with him.

Then my parents came over and we celebrated the Dad's - so grateful my Mom and Lindsay did the meal thinking and prep as my fatigue was kicking in.  Also so grateful for my Dad and Allan and for the great fathers they are.

We had a great BBQ - a sit and chat around the fire outside and I was early to bed and sleep.