About the only thing certain in the travel business right now is that nothing is certain.

Last week, the president and CEO of Carnival Cruise Corporation, which operates a fleet of over 100 ships including such popular brand names as Carnival, Princess, Holland America, Cunard, Seabourn, Costa, and Windstar, announced the sell off of 13 of his ships and the delay in the delivery of 5 of the 9 new builds they had expected to be sailing the high seas in 2021, the ripples of disappointment and shock was heard all across the travel industry.

Alas, we all understood too well his goal to "emerge a leaner, more efficient company, to optimize cash generation, to pay down debt, and to return to providing strong returns to our shareholders," but, still, this mega-giant's painful decision certainly gave me reason to pause and ponder.

Pausing and pondering is not an easy thing to do.

I learned that at a very early age, because it was my mother's favorite form of discipline. You see, I was the middle child in a family of 3 girls.My older sister was only 9 months older than I so we were pretty much inseparable playmates.Then, just as we got old enough to "run" the neighborhood, ride bikes and play pretty much unsupervised, mom threw our younger sister into the mix.

The fact that she was too small, too slow, too whining, and too much of a tattle tale created serious challenges for the dynamic duo thing we had going. So, because we sometimes had trouble sharing or including her, Mama created pause and ponder. Today's woke parents would call it time-out. For us, it was something to be avoided like the plague. Slowing down to ponder the why, what, and when that caused the pause was simply not in our DNA: we were born to play--not ponder.

Yet, when Miss Helen, my Sunday School teacher, explained the Christmas story, beginning with Mary and the "yes" that changed the world forever, I, too, had an epiphany. The wonder of it all became so vivid, so beautifully dramatic in my young mind: the donkey ride to Bethlehem, the manger, the star, the shepherds, the wisemen, the angels.

I loved the whole event, but my epiphany came when Miss Helen ended our lesson with this Bible scripture.And Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart.

At that moment,I got it!I suddenly realized Mama's "pause and ponder" sessions were not designed to be punishment. Rather, like Mother Mary, they were an opportunity to treasure, reflect, and think carefully about something.

During this time of almost zero revenue for the travel industry, I will admit to having a lot more time to pause and ponder. I worry about the children and the parents who are facing difficult decisions about school and the missed opportunities of sports and other events we have grown to love.I worry about seeing businesses, like mine, stumble, eke by, or remain closed.I worry about the economy and if it can sustain such a blow...and I ponder on and on.

I have never met the president of Carnival Cruise Line, but my heart breaks that travel has devolved to the point that it is necessary to divest themselves of 13 ships to stay afloat. These are strange and scary times.There seems to always be a low-lying cloud just hanging over us lately, which is probably why I like Mother Mary!

Mary's road was certainly not an easy one. How hard it must have been for her to let go of the special child she had loved, nurtured and cared for every step of the way and, then, following God's instructions, turn Him over to a world that was not always kind.

Even with Jesus,I am sure Mary had some of those "pause and ponder" moments . You know, those times as parents when we scratch our heads and go hmmmm as we second guess the decisions or choices we must face. Certainly, having God as the Father would have had some challenges too!

Yet, from Bethlem to Golgatha, Mary was always there. It seems only fitting that she was the first to see His resurrection and the one chosen to tell the disciples He had risen! Needless to say, that's another reason I really like Mary: she always just showed up!

So, my friends, during this lifequake experience that is Covid, maybe we all need to be a little more like Mary. We need to follow instructions and, every now and then, we should just pause and ponder all the good things that we have enjoyed and can still enjoy. We need to hold them close to our heart, and just keep on showing up.

I am trying to do that, and, luckily, I can honestly say even at Monroe Travel Service, I am beginning to see a glimmer of hope for an industry shattered by COVID-19.We are starting to book trips for late fall, 2021, and even 2022, and would love to send you away.

Maybe it's time to start kicking the tires again and seeing what's out there!I don't think travel will be resurrected in 3 days, but I believe it's coming!

Dianne Newcomer is a travel agent at Monroe Travel Service. At this time, our office is closed and our travel advisors are working from home. Please call 318 323 3465 or email us at dianne@monroetravel.com for help with your future travel plans. We would love to send you away!

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Nothing is certain, but it's a good time to plan your future travel - The News Star