Is it possible to forget how much you love some people?
Because after spending time with THESE people
I remembered how much they mean to me and how much I missed them
being part of my life.
My mom is one of 10 kids.
Her younger brothers and sisters were so much a part
of my life when I was growing up.
So many fun memories revolve around them.
And then life got in the way...
We let ourselves be too busy to go to the family reunions.
We lost touch.
We knew they were still there, but life went by
without them.
We lost my aunt Jackie, aunt Cathy, aunt Janice, and my uncle Willie.
And then Aunt Florence got cancer.
The thought of losing her meant we have lost as many as we have left.
It seemed so wrong.
When my dad died,
I found these amazing people again,
made them part of my life...
and if nothing else good came out of his death,
THIS did!
I walked into my aunt Ann's house the weekend of my dad's birthday.
All of them were there.
And they enveloped me in their love!
Tallin came in and they simply loved him too.
I realized how much I had missed them.
I missed their love and their acceptance
so very much.
It doesn't matter who we are, or how we live our lives,
we just love each other, and take care of each other,
and in the end nothing else really matters!
I loved spending time at my aunt Ann's growing up.
Her daughter was one of my best friends.
Becky, Charlotte and Floss were my babysitters when I was really little.
Aunt Floss pierced my ears.
Back in the day when they used a needle to pierce them.
I was maybe 4.
In the bathroom in our little house on Center St.
I loved spending time at aunt Bec's house, both when I was young,
and when we lived by each other in Idaho and Washington.
I was a teenager, and she was awesome to hang out with.
Charlotte... well Charlotte always made me smile!
She has the greatest memories she has shared with me
about bailing hay for my dad,
and how much she loved him...
And then there is my uncle Danny.
I loved being at his house.
He was someone I looked up to...
he was my friend.
He helped me in more ways than he will ever know,
and I am so glad that he is part of my life again!
He loved my dad, and my dad loved him so much.
Sometimes he sends me a random text that simply warms my heart.
Not long before Floss died,
the came to visit us and to see my mom.
It was one of the greatest things to have them in our home.
Kailee and I took Ann and Bec to The Star for a big steak,
and had such a great time just laughing with them.
The next day my cousin Jen, and Floss were here to and they all went with us
to Kami's "Star Student" day at school.
I think she will always remember that.
She felt like a star to have so many people there for her.
I am grateful that they got to spend time with my family,
and get to know them...
and for my kids to get to know my aunts.
We lost aunt Floss in June.
Another painful reminder that life keeps moving forward
no matter how hard we try to slow it down.
She fought the cancer so valiantly.
She taught us all how to live,
while she was dying.
She made memories with her family...
enough to last a life time.
That is one of the most precious gifts.
Too many people do not live when they have a chance.
She fought to live even knowing that horrible disease would end up
taking her life.
I watched for the fun pictures Jen would post on Facebook
of the things they were doing.
Squeezing every single ounce of life out of the time she had left.
She makes me want to be better at doing that...
finding joy and fun in the mundane
and giving your family a million happy memories.
Family!
I am so lucky to be a part of this family,
to love, and be loved by them.
