It's very late and I should be in bed, but I just wanted to put down a few words. I spent the weekend visiting with my dad's three remaining siblings and their spouses. It was a very rich time but I found as I was making the drive back home that I was a bit melancholy. I'm attempting to begin doing some writing about my dad and I wanted to talk to his family to find out as much as I could about his childhood. Daddy loved his family so much and theirs is one of love and commitment. I heard many stories. The stories made me miss Daddy and Mom. They made me wish that I could have known my grandparents better. Strong emotions were evoked - laughter and tears. My mind is full of so much that I want to remember and so much that I want to share with my children and grandchildren. I heard stories that I remember from family gatherings over the years, but the stories never get old and only improve upon retelling. Uncle Roy died young, and he and my dad were very close. I barely remember him. So many now have passed away, Aunt Ruth, Mom, Dad, Uncle James, Uncle Gene, Uncle Paul. Such rich lives. As I listened again to familiar stories and learned some new ones, I was once again thankful for the family that I was born into. I realized afresh the depth of joy in belonging to a family in all of its humanness...the beauty of goodness and the pain of facing the truth about the things that have happened that we wish we coud change. And I guess that's where we find the wonder in being part of a family - those who (in our case, and I hope in yours) will be there for all those times we mess up. There were definitely things that got messed up and I learned that my parents generation generally doesn't like to talk much about those things. I learned a lot by what was said and what wasn't and realize there's a lot I'll just never know. I'm starting to get sleepy and since I don't know if anything I'm writing makes sense at this point, I'll go to bed. I do pray that I won't forget how it feels right now to be overly tired from staying up into the wee hours talking with family. I look forward to heaven, to being again with all those I love, where there are no boundaries of time or distance to keep us apart.