Hooray For Family

As I sit here, it's semi-early (7:15 a.m.).  The house is quiet.  But we have had the best time over the last twenty hours.


If you've read any of my previous posts, you know that it's been a very crazy summer.  It's been one filled with illness, recovery, and learning-both in classrooms and out.  But for a little while last night, it felt like our home was the way I remembered some of my relative's homes when I was growing up.  And it did wonders for my spirits.


Usually, my family is the one who does the traveling around.  If we have kinfolk who come up from Florida to Virginia, we'll visit Virginia, and manage to see lots of family.  (Once, when I was twelve or thirteen, I spent the week in Virginia.  Never even had time to miss my family-we were too busy having a big time.)


Since Daddy has been ill, people have been coming to us.  The fact that at the moment we are unable to travel makes me sad.  But all of the guests have been wonderful.  


Over the last few weeks, but especially the last 24 hours, we have visited.  We have eaten our fill.  We have reminisced.  I've heard stories about my cousins, my parents, my grandparents that I'd never heard.


And we have laughed.  


The kind of laughter that makes not only your sides but your face hurt.  The kind that makes you gasp and giggle and then start all over again.  The kind that you take for granted while you're laughing, but when you get a quiet moment to just sit and reflect, you realize how very blessed you are.  Because you haven't laughed that hard in a long time.


And you see you're blessed because you have so many people who care about your family in your life.  And to see how God sends you those people just when you need them.   And you can't help but echo David's sentiment, "What is man that you are mindful of him?" Psalm 8:4