Week 263
Positive post Sunday, March 6, 2022- Week 263.
Do you have family that live far away from you? My son Jeff and his family have lived far away from us ever since he joined the Army many years ago. They currently live in North Carolina. Although we are very proud of Jeff, and grateful for the sacrifices they have ALL made to serve our country, we certainly miss them dearly. Facetime, texting and phone calls help us stay connected, but they just aren’t the same as being in person and sharing our daily lives together. Andrew and Austin are growing up so fast! Now that the impacts of the pandemic appear to be subsiding, we look forward to visiting them soon and hopefully more frequently.
And now, this month, our daughter Heather and her family are moving to Idaho. Although we are happy for this exciting change in their lives, we will certainly miss them as well. We’ll especially miss all those days when Sean, Chad and Aubrey come over and play with our other grandkids (and raid our pantry and sweet jar), and watching their ball games. And if having two of our children living far away isn’t enough, rumor has it that another one of our daughters may also be flying the coop. That would mean 3 of our 5 children and 7 of our 11 grandchildren will be living over an hour from us. Apparently, some of our children are not aware of the grandchildren law (see attachment). The Positive part of this post is that we are expecting our 12th grandchild any day now, and she will be only a few miles away!
To my children and grandchildren that still live in town, I cherish the times I get to spend with all of you in person. Going to church and your school events, sharing meals, teaching you how to drive, cheering you on at your sporting events, going on walks, riding bikes, roughhousing (nuggies) and just being together.
To my children and grandchildren who are, or will be, living miles away from us, we may be miles apart, but you will always be in my heart. Alison shared the photo attached with this saying on it and suggested I use it for my PPS today. I think she is preparing me to manage through our upcoming family moves. Nevertheless, it made me pause and remind myself how very blessed I am to have such an amazing and faithful family full of love for each other regardless of where we all live. Thank you Lord.
We have all heard the saying, “Absence makes the heart grow fonder”. Well, I think Charlie Brown’s version is more complete, “Absence makes the heart grow fonder, but it sure makes the rest of you feel lonely”. Fortunately for us, Michele and I are blessed with MANY children and grandchildren, and with #12 on the way, we definitely won’t get lonely.
I’m mindful of Thomas Haynes Bayly’s suggestion that, “Prolonged absence makes the heart forget”. The good news is that Michele and I are at a point in our lives where we can start to travel more, and we’re looking forward to visiting our children wherever they call home. We will be dusting off our suitcases and ordering a new supply of Michele airline seat covers and look forward to using our frequent flyer miles. Or, who knows, maybe we’ll even get an RV. Our love for our family is far too deep for our hearts to ever forget.
How do you stay connected to family who live far away from you?