By Whitney
I believe with all my heart that our Daddy was with us this entire trip. During the drive from Eagle Nest back to Taos, we had been talking about Daddy and our previous visits to Bandelier National Monument with him. Bandelier is a monument that was created to preserve the homes of the Ancestral Pueblo people. The homes and writings are still there and there are archaeological sites that are deep within the ground. Those sites have ladders which lead down into them, allowing visitors to the site to experience the homes as they were many years ago. The ladders are wide on the bottom and narrow on top and are handmade. I recall them not feeling very sturdy. Daddy was terrified of them. I remember him getting stuck on a ladder when I was about 10 years old. He was deep within the site and could not make himself climb more than halfway back up. After much coaxing and help from the workers, finally he climbed to the top. Many years later, he did the same thing again when he went to Bandelier with Stormi and her mother. Personally, I can't believe he even tried it again, but he apparently did. It was an interesting discussion as we both had the same Bandelier experience with him, 20 years apart.
As we finished reminiscing about Bandelier, we saw a very small casino and decided to stop for a few minutes. There was a precious old Native American man there who followed us around and talked to us. He was so polite and respectful and we enjoyed visiting with him while we played. We talked about nothing other than the casino and my sister's expected baby. Not a word about Daddy, Bandelier, or the reason for our trip was uttered. When it was time for us to leave he told us he had a gift for us. We were cautious, but honestly, there was nothing scary or intimidating about this man. He walked to his car and came back with two small, handmade ladders.....ladders that were exactly like the ones at Bandelier. I was absolutely speechless. My sister and I looked at each other in total amazement and shock. With tears in our eyes, we gently hugged the old man and thanked him for his gift. We were stunned. Coincidence? No way. God just kept giving us signs that Daddy was there and that we were doing the right thing. We now have the ladders proudly displayed in our homes. They are a reminder of the kindness of a sweet man who helped make a difficult day brighter and of a God who is always there no matter what the circumstance.
I believe with all my heart that our Daddy was with us this entire trip. During the drive from Eagle Nest back to Taos, we had been talking about Daddy and our previous visits to Bandelier National Monument with him. Bandelier is a monument that was created to preserve the homes of the Ancestral Pueblo people. The homes and writings are still there and there are archaeological sites that are deep within the ground. Those sites have ladders which lead down into them, allowing visitors to the site to experience the homes as they were many years ago. The ladders are wide on the bottom and narrow on top and are handmade. I recall them not feeling very sturdy. Daddy was terrified of them. I remember him getting stuck on a ladder when I was about 10 years old. He was deep within the site and could not make himself climb more than halfway back up. After much coaxing and help from the workers, finally he climbed to the top. Many years later, he did the same thing again when he went to Bandelier with Stormi and her mother. Personally, I can't believe he even tried it again, but he apparently did. It was an interesting discussion as we both had the same Bandelier experience with him, 20 years apart.
As we finished reminiscing about Bandelier, we saw a very small casino and decided to stop for a few minutes. There was a precious old Native American man there who followed us around and talked to us. He was so polite and respectful and we enjoyed visiting with him while we played. We talked about nothing other than the casino and my sister's expected baby. Not a word about Daddy, Bandelier, or the reason for our trip was uttered. When it was time for us to leave he told us he had a gift for us. We were cautious, but honestly, there was nothing scary or intimidating about this man. He walked to his car and came back with two small, handmade ladders.....ladders that were exactly like the ones at Bandelier. I was absolutely speechless. My sister and I looked at each other in total amazement and shock. With tears in our eyes, we gently hugged the old man and thanked him for his gift. We were stunned. Coincidence? No way. God just kept giving us signs that Daddy was there and that we were doing the right thing. We now have the ladders proudly displayed in our homes. They are a reminder of the kindness of a sweet man who helped make a difficult day brighter and of a God who is always there no matter what the circumstance.