Bookends of Wisdom
From Chicken Soup for the Soul: The Advice that Changed My Life
By Cate Bronson

A lifetime isn’t forever, so take the first chance, don’t wait for the second one!
~C. JoyBell C.

Fresh out of college and newly married, my husband and I started our life together in an economically challenged Canadian community. Leapfrogging from one temporary job to the next, we squeaked by with the hope of purchasing a home someday, but it was a dream firmly planted in a distant future. The idea of assuming a mortgage at the risk of losing everything had no appeal, so we scrimped, saved and bided our time.

We took advantage of the free things in life that filled our souls with happiness, like time spent camping, hiking, and swimming. Our love for the great outdoors provided an escape from the daily grind and, by rare chance one day, an opportunity. During one of our outings, we spotted a for-sale sign advertising a snippet of paradise along the shoreline of Lake Superior. It was a little chunk of land to call — well, not quite home but the next best thing — camp. (Keep reading)