I am forgoing today’s usual Wisdom Wednesday post to celebrate something special. Anna has just arrived home from Sweden. She’s been gone for three weeks, visiting her homeland for the first time in fifteen years. And I’m so happy she’s back! But I’m also very glad she had the opportunity to go see old friends and family; to swim in her ocean and stay in her family’s summer home on the island where she grew up.

She came to the gallery to see me, so fresh off the plane she was still jet lagged. But she had enough energy to share a margarita. Welcome to New Mexico, right?

And the most amazing thing happened. A woman named Michelle Mosser and her friend, Diane Doolan, came to the gallery with Michelle’s white wolf, Grace (Grace was, of course, in the car). For those of you who don’t know, when Anna first moved to Truchas nearly 8 years ago, she came with a red wolf named Sheba (see previous post The Old Adobe Church, the Wolf and Survival). Sheba passed away some years back and I never met her. But Anna’s stories about her are truly amazing and I feel like I knew her.

And here it is, Anna’s first day back, and a white wolf comes to the gallery (probably not something you’d see in NYC or Paris). So we invited Grace in, of course. She’s a very restless creature, still finding her way in a domesticated world—learning to be more dog-like, as Michelle puts it. We were asked if we’d mind sitting on the floor to seem less huge and intimidating. No problem.

And in she came, gorgeous, nervous, sensitive, pacing. It was very difficult to get any good shots of her because she was constantly moving. But Anna lit up. I saw her remembering Sheba and all the years the two of them shared. She definitely recognized Grace.

And it occurred to me that this was some very special magic going on. I know, as much as Anna loves her life here in New Mexico, it had been very hard for her to leave Sweden, not knowing when she would go back again. So I think Spirit sent Grace to welcome Anna back—to remind her that there is heritage and history that belongs to her in this place, too. That there is something wild and engaging in this new world, this western frontier she now calls home.

Grace and Michelle live in Santa Fe so they have an open invitation to come back to the gallery any time they feel like taking a trip up the High Road. And I’ll tell you a secret: I’m thinking it might be cool for Grace and Kelee to meet (see previous post A Three-Legged Man of the West). There is so much of him that is still wolf-like. Perhaps these two could learn a little something from each other. Grace could witness how a “still wildish one” functions in a domesticated world, and Kelee could taste a bit more of that wolf nature that I know still lingers within him.

But for now, Anna is back. And for all my wanting to welcome her home in some special way, I just never, ever, could have planned this!

Welcome back, Anna!

Love to you all,

Jeane