Family Matters

I was entertaining myself tonight at my own private pity party when low and behold, Uncle Marvin called me out of the blue -- he'd been thinking of me. When I whined to him about losing my job he did the Zarling 'ach' thing and told me that he lost his job too, a couple of times already. Oh, there goes my idea of being at the center of the universe! I asked him what he was going to do now, he said that we're going to 'go fishing' . . . About a half hour after that Uncle David called -- yes, you've got, he was thinking of me too. Telepathy or just chance? I like to think it was my Dad tapping on my relatives' shoulders from the heavens. Dad? It worked.

Family . . . I've heard that in some mystical way we actually choose the family we're teleported into. I picked the best. I have to admit it took me a long time to admit or appreciate it but I certainly have been graced with an awesome lineage!

Yesterday I met a 'first cousin, once removed' who is simply amazing. Sharon and her husband, Carl, raised 5 children (one a set of twins) and then decided to open their home to special needs children. They adopted 4 children that continuously bring joy into their lives; two of them have Down's syndrome, one is deaf, and the other is wheelchair bound. These two love and nurture these angels that God brought to them inspite of their challenges. Sharon told me that when she was a young girl her grandfather would take her on picnics at the childrens' home which left a lasting impression of the lonely children left behind the window shades. It was her lifelong dream to be able to provide a home for children that were less fortunate than her biological children. Sharon and Carl traveling extensively with their children to build memories for not only the children but for others whose lives are touched by these special children. She has books and books of photo albums that the children page through from time to time to relive those memories.

This afternoon Uncle Harold and Aunt Bessie invited us to lunch. They're both in their mid-80's but are still active in their creative pursuits. Aunt Bessie always amazes me with all the projects that she has going and all the ideas that she has for the next project down the line. Uncle Harold is like a slow moving deep river; he always keeps me on my toes with current events and often adds a little nudge along the way. They have always been an inspiration to me -- Aunt Bessie taught me to sew and Uncle Harold opened my creativity.

It's said that you can choose your friends but you can't choose your relatives. No problem for me!