My sister and I head for the Texas Panhandle for a funeral this morning. My mothers youngest sister suffered a series of seizures, causing her to take a fall and add bodily injuries. As usual things like this do bring families together, share hugs and our loss. We will also, make promises to see each other more often. If only we would. So, I will not be on line for a while.
4 Comments
E.Brooks
My sister and I always say we’re going to stay in touch better but it always falls back into the familiarity of infrequent contact — just the way it is. Sorry for the loss to your family, Monte!
Monte Stevens
Thanks, Brooks. We did have a good time on our drive and visiting with family. I met a new generation of family for the first time. My sister and I talked a lot on the drive. Driving back yesterday was a bit longer and had some stress due to the winter storm. Our 8 hours down was 11 and half coming back. But safe we are. And, it is important that we make the best of the times we do share with family. Our life is too short.
Tom Dills
It’s unfortunate that it often takes someone’s passing to remind of us the importance of staying close to those who are important to us. Sometimes it seems we have a lot of one-sided relationships, because others have not learned the same lessons we have. In those cases my refrain has become “be the friend ‘I’ want to be,” and if those relationships still don’t pan out it won’t be because I didn’t do my part. But it takes a mutual commitment to make it work. I hope your visit with family and friends provides the lessons to those who haven’t had them, and that you can take those feelings home with you and keep them going.
Monte Stevens
Good advice, Tom. And, yes time with family was special. Some of that is because I have grown and changed as age sneaks up. Family becomes far more important as I age and as I see more of the elder generation leave us. We can easily find ourselves wandering in our dreams about what we could have done. But the essence of these times is to celebrate the lives of those who have left.