Family Matters

In every conceivable manner, the family is link to our past, bridge to our future.

—Alex Haley

As I write this, my family is visiting from Ireland. We just got back from visiting my husband’s family in North Carolina, and I am planning a trip home to Ireland in February to be with family. This time of year, it’s all about family, and sometimes, in the midst of changing sheets, cleaning bathrooms, planning 14-hour drives, and, of course, finding someone to watch the cat, we wonder if it’s all worth it and won’t it be nice when everything gets back to normal?

Of course it’s worth it! We get so used to our routines and just trying to keep everything going on a daily basis that we worry about changes, upsets to our schedule, and packing and unpacking suitcases… or at least I do. I worry about my baby daughter getting out of her routine, about stuff everywhere, about not getting my blog written, and about not being able to check my email! Does any of this matter? No. But family matters. Family matters a whole lot. They are our foundation. They are where we came from and, ultimately, at least in my case, they are the ones who accept us home no matter what happens.

Living in America, I miss my family terribly. I would love to be able to hop in a car and see them for a day. I miss out on the family events, the big moments and the little ones. Of course there’s Skype, and phone calls and email, even Facebook. But nothing makes up for the physical presence of family. Nothing means as much as that tight hug at the airport when my brother says, “Hi, Sis.” Nothing matters like someone saying, “So how are you?” and really meaning it, or saying in response, “Oh, I’m fine” and knowing that more can be said later.

Not living close to family means devoting big chunks of time to being with family, and, to a control freak like me, sometimes we get bogged down in the details and forget what we are doing… spending time with family. What could be more important than that? Yes, there’s change, and long drives, and never-ending trips to the Jewel because we never seem to have any milk. But seeing the six pairs of snow boots lined up at the door, dripping wet, or my 21-month old daughter laughing hilariously at her two older cousins doing just about anything, or seeing my brother relax with a book in front of the fire, then I remember… then I remember how precious these moments are, how much I truly love these people, and how all too soon we will be going back to the airport.

This New Year I intend to cherish my family – and all the chaos that goes along with them!

Be inspired! Stay connected!