Familiy

I'm back! Still exhausted and trying to play catch-up, so this will be a short post.

I took a road trip up to Illinois for Jeff's memorial. I spent 22 hours in a car to get there, spent 3 days with some wonderful people, then spent 22 more hours in a car to get back home. The memorial service was beautiful. Lots of tears and hugging and wondering 'why'. But through all this, I've learned something. I should say re-learned actually. This is a lesson I learned long ago, but has been rekindled in my heart. This lesson is about family.

Family is not just the people you share a blood line with. Family can also be chosen. I don't mean to down-play the love and bonds you have with your natural family, but to enhance the love and bonds you can have with your extended, chosen family. Chosen family can be just as loving and supportive as your natural family. Even through all the squabbles and bickering, there is still a bond that holds you together to these people, even if that bond is not blood.

I learned some new and interesting things about A's family. I feel closer to them than I felt before. I hope they feel the same about me. Yes, I'm sure we'll still have our squabbles but, for me anyway, I will always consider them family. I will always do my best to love and support them in anyway that I can. And hopefully, we can all get together and play Flippy Cup again. =)

I was also able to spend a little time with my brothers and sister(in-law), and nieces and nephew. I just wanted to say that I love you guys and wish I had more time to spend with you. I really hope we get to spend more time together in the near future. I love and miss you guys bunches.

That's about it for now. I need to get caught up on laundry and pull up the garden that died during my absence, and hopefully there is a nap in my near future.