April 5, 2008

  • Ode to Family

     

    Well, I’m back in PA again! It’s been a great week with my siblings… I arrived last Sunday, but because my mom was gone until 2 days ago, I spent most of my time at home with my brothers and sister this week. Going to the library, going to market, watching “Night at the Museum” together, cleaning the entire house from top to bottom (really big deal, just ask my brothers), just being together and enjoying one another… It’s been fun. Zoe’ positively adores my family, and if I don’t take her downstairs immediately after she wakes up, she starts bouncing and wiggles her little body toward the door to go see everybody. Ever so darling!

    It’s been a special week for me here at home… My mom was recently diagnosed with a severe case of Lyme Disease, and anyone who has had that or knows about it, knows that it is a very difficult illness to overcome and people can get so very sick. And my mom has had a very hard time physically the past few months… It’s been so hard on me to be so far away and not be able to help with things at home. Part of it is probably that Oldest Sister Syndrome, where I feel responsible to help out. But most of it is that I want to help out. They are my family!

    It seems that my family has been under a physical attack recently. My mom’s health (for the past few years actually, but was just diagnosed); my dad has been facing some health challenges too that are still undetermined; one sister was in a very bad accident and was miraculously spared; one of my brothers fell and gashed his shin all the way to the bone on an iron beam; another sister sprained her ankle/tendon in her foot. As for the rest of us, we are praying that no further attacks will be permitted as we care for the wounded!!

    We are a family. And this is my family, whom I care about, love with all my heart. And to see them going through such a hard time – from such a long way away – has been so difficult. So this opportunity to be here this week has been so wonderful. True, I haven’t seen friends so far (except at the wedding yesterday and today, and that was so lovely), and I feel like I can’t return to GA without seeing some of them, but it’s been a priceless week with my family. When you or someone you know and are close to goes through a difficult season of life, it just puts a  new perspective on life and makes relationships seem as important as they really are. Sometimes in the hum-drum of life it’s easy to get caught up in little things that really are  insignificant in eternity. But when things like this happen, it’s a jolt to reality, and really draws my heart back to God, to people, to things that really matter. Previous little irritations now seem minute, and instead, the positive attributes of each other are what we see and appreciate. My heart feels so full sometimes –  it aches with the sweetness of life, and yet, at the same time, at the bitter things that threaten the sweetness as well… So, with all that briefly describing the state of affairs in my family, I am so thankful to be here and to be able to give to my family in whichever ways I am able this week…

    I came directly from Ohio and will return back home next week, after being the wedding coordinator today at a good friend’s wedding in PA. Such an extreme pendelum of emotions within the past week. Extreme grief and sorrow at my friend’s father’s funeral, which was one of the most achingly saddest funerals I was ever at. And such happiness at the wedding of my friend Cindi and seeing her joy with her fiance’. My heart doesn’t feel big enough sometimes, to enter someone’s pain so deeply, and to turn around and enter someone else’s supreme happiness. I think God is stretching my capacity to love. And I want that, because so often I wish I could do more for someone – like at the funeral for my friend, like today at the wedding…

    We are a family. A family because of blood ties. And a family because of friendship. And even beyond technical “family” family, we are, in a larger aspect,  a family of believers, created by God to stand together in support and encouragement, to enter each other joys and sorrows, to care for one another. And that makes us sisters, even with no blood ties. And brothers, with no previous relation. It’s beautiful… Let’s keep it so.

     



    A few pictures to show the beauty…

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    Zoe’ looking out the window on one of the flights. She should have frequent flyer miles by now – with this trip up here and back, she’ll have flown 8 times in her 8 months.

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    The changing table in the airport. See the cooing woman behind her? So funny.

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    I stayed with Gaylord and Celesta when I was in Ohio. I positively adore that family!

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    Zoe’ never lacked for attention there!

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    Little Michael (age 6) told us, “I wish you would stay for 50 days!!” Ever so cute!

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    Ever so proud Papa

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    At Central Market

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    She desperately wanted David’s ice cream come. And, well, she got it.

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    Some of us sibs. Forgot a picture of brother Chris, who met us for a fun few minutes too



















Comments (3)

  • What a beautiful, heart-stirring post, Clarita!! I will pray for you and yours…..

  • i loved this update. the older i get the more i appreciate God`s gift to me of the “family” i have been given that isnt always blood… prayin` for your family too. that sounds so rough especially for your mom… we had the most soul stirring sermon on prayer this morning so i am all all fired up to pray… :)

    cute picture with the braids. you look a little like rebecca st james.  

  • “We are a family. And this is my family, whom I care about, love with all my heart. And to see them going through such a hard time – from such a long way away – has been so difficult.”      Know the feelings….

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