I love to camp. Sometimes in a small backpacking tent near a remote stream. Sometimes in a pickup camper at a designated campground.  Other times in that same camper in very remote places…

My lovely camp partner and I have been to some beautiful places together in our camper and enjoyed the comforts that the camper offers. Being high on the list is a flush toilet and shower. Air-conditioning, heater, water heater, stove, oven and refrigerator. Very comfortable.

We always make it a point to have fun. It’s a choice we make.

Sometimes it’s fun for my camping partner to kiss me and wave me goodbye for a weekend if the destination I’ve chosen for camping doesn’t interest her. For example, out in the desert when it’s 110°. Or when I drive the to the “end of the road” so it’s a short (6 mile) walk to the fishing stream.

I miss her, she misses me, however a weekend away can really spark the flames when we are back together.

Most of the time when I’m off by myself I find a love note or a keep sake (from the lingerie drawer) in the camper, in one of my zippered compartments in my backpack, or in one of my gear bags. These are usually discovered a day or two into my trip.

Before leaving I will give her flowers from the yard with a love note attached.

We both have time to ourselves when we are apart, however we still get to give and express love.

I just love discovering the gifts that her beautiful heart gives me. She might not be interested in going on a particular trip, but that will not stop her from expressing love.

I went on a trip by myself in the camper recently, a place where she was not interested in going. And I had some extra time inside the camper because it was too darn hot to go outside. I was so thankful for the air-conditioning!

So I had some time to do some organizing inside the camper. You know, the drawers and other places that things get crammed into to be rediscovered another day. Well, this day I came across some of those love notes, written by a princess with love and joy in her heart to give and to be received by me. Some were from earlier this year, some a year old, some three years old and some even more.

One thing was constant, the love and joy. You see, I’m not talking about an old love letter or note from another time and place that brings sorrow or hurt feelings or loss or loneliness. I’m talking about reconnecting with love and joy,and really feeling it.

As I came across these previously given love notes I could feel the love and joy as if she had just written them and handed them to me. I got a little teary-eyed, my heart felt the gift of love that I readily accept.

I dusted them off, flattened out the wrinkles and decorated the inside of the camper with them.

I feel so blessed to have a partner like her. I know how the love notes feel to the receiver and I know how the giver feels writing them and giving them. Both are so blessed.

It made me ask myself a question. Who is more blessed? Me? As I discover the previously given love notes. Or my partner as the love and joy was expressed and given again and again. Or is it the Creator of love and joy and the extra time in the camper who is more blessed?