Thoughts on Family

In less than twenty-four hours, I will be flying over the eastern United States and Canada en route to Amsterdam to be reunited with my fiancee. These last two evenings, I was able to spend some very special time with family. Last night, we gathered at Grandma and Grandpa's to celebrate Grandpa's 69th birthday. There was plenty of good food ... both Mom and Grandma tried to find takers for their leftovers. The food was delicious, but calorie-rich food is only allowable at the party; few want to take it home with them. Just a month earlier, there would have been no question about what to do with leftovers, as I would have gladly taken them to my bachelor pad in Columbus.

This morning, Mom, Dad, and I went running at Kendrick Woods. It was my third time to run there in so many days, but seeing as I'll be sitting a great deal tomorrow, I'm glad for the exercise. Plus, it was really good to spend the time with Mom and Dad. After the run, Dad and I drove into town to buy some larger suitcases at Ollie's (great place for great deals!). Fortunately, I've finally been able to finish my packing. Everything should weigh in at 50 lbs or less (soon I'll be stretching my brain cells to think in kilos). It was a rather exhausting day, but a very nice final day with the family. Ashton and Kara came over for dinner, and we had a great time playing Hillbilly Golf and Quiddler. I think it was one of the best times we've had together as a family.

Speaking of family, while I packed my carry on bags, I thought some about family and came up with the following acrostic (I welcome other acrostics on this topic!):

F: Family is fun.
A: Our family helps us to focus and aim our sights on God's will for our lives.
M: Above all, family is a source of mercy.
I: Our family inspires us to pursue our dreams and persevere through difficulties.
L: Family is a place for love to be shared freely.
Y: How can I forget younguns'? Family is the place for children, who present the opportunity for parents to pass on blessings to the next generation.

Truly family are very special! Farewells are one of the more poignant times to reflect on family, but certainly not the only times. I hope I'll be able to keep up with this blog over the coming weeks and months, so that I can stay in touch with those most important to me.

As the clock now reads a quarter to midnight, I think I'd best turn in so as to get some sleep before the day of departure.