I mentioned yesterday that I recently returned from a trip to Nashville. I flew out on a Thursday morning and stayed through the following Monday. It was a great visit spent catching up with family. I hadn't seen some of my cousins, my aunts, or my uncle in more than 12 years. My two cousins have had children over the years whom I have never met. Just look how grown up these kiddos look in this picture! This was the first time I had actually seen any of them outside of the annual Christmas portraits.
12 years ...
You know how it is. You grow up, go away to college, start a career, get married, start families. Your extended family gets pushed further and further to the edges of your life. You come up with all kinds of excuses why you're too busy to make the time to go see them.
Friends come and go--some making graceful exits while others flat-out betray you. But your family remains ... just a phone call or an e-mail away, no matter how many years have passed. They're always there with open arms, more than willing to give you another chance, to offer an ear, to give you a shoulder.
One day, you wise up and refocus on the people who really matter in this world. I finally did.
Thank you so much for welcoming me back. I promise it won't be another 12 years!
