love, no matter what (video)

In 1989 I met a handsome Brit named Ian. He led the down-to-earth photo safari which my brother and I enjoyed in Kenya and Tanzania that year. Ours was a brief romance but we stayed in touch for years and I revisited him in Kenya a decade later. To this day we still correspond. Now, he and his smart, beautiful wife Maggie and their two young sons run Wheatland Farm, an ecotourism destination in Devon, some miles southwest of London.

Yesterday, Ian sent me this video, which features Andrew Solomon, author of Far From the Tree, (which is awaiting me on my night stand) along with a message that read, "This one made me think of you ... it's very worth listening to."

I hesitate to say much more about the video besides the fact that it is clear that my dear friend Ian knows me well and that the message in this video is beautifully, poignantly profound, particularly—perhaps—if you are a parent. I highly encourage all of you to watch.

Coincidentally, and especially considering the nature of the video, when I googled Wheatland farm I found a Virginia farm of the same name that caters to children with special needs.

Thank you, Ian. You continue to touch many lives.

If you cannot view the video click here to view it on you tube.