Mom and Dad came to visit first, along with a good friend from high school. It was surreal having a full house, and we decided that WE LOVE IT! Our home has already been compared to an inn many times because it's a cozy spot for hosting movie nights, Writers' Group, and just a hang out. It suits this place! This was the Inn's first time housing overnight guests. We loved having the space to share, and seeing others feel welcome and at home here too!
My parents always bring sunshine with them, it seems. No joke, we had a beautiful week with very little rain (odd for April...very odd. I'm not just talking about "April Showers" here. In Seattle, they're called "Fall/Winter/Spring showers!). A little less "touristy" than their previous visits, we enjoyed showing them our new life. They fit into it very well! We even got to have an incredible Easter Sunday dinner with both sides of the family (minus my sister and bro-in-law. *sad face* But they come in later!). It was the first time we used our wedding china and our first holiday hosted in our own home. Such a fun bunch! This glorious Easter Sunday was the first sunny Easter we've had in the Pacific Northwest in about 10 years (or so co-workers told me). Could God have had something to do with it? Absolutely.
Just like the first time they visited our little apartment, Mom and Dad made this house feel more complete, like all the pieces of my life there and my life here came together again. When they left, they took the sun with them, and it was rainy for the rest of the month. Like my wonderful in-laws, they share so much joy and wisdom with us newlyweds. There's something about having a conversation with your parents across the table (not across the country, via phone), and feeling like you understand them (and appreciate them) more than you were capable of as a child. Needless to say, I was sad to see them go.
Enter sister and bro-in-law! More sun (a little rain, but that's just to give them a realistic reference point for this place) and more fun! We had a blast showing them around on their very first West Coast adventure. The only trouble was wanting to do and see it all in a short span of time! Thank goodness for being able to say, "We'll do that next time you're here." Still, we did a lot of unique things. Ever had a five coarse breakfast at a rustic lodge at the top of a giant waterfall in the middle of the mountains? Unbelievable! We made such memories, trying new things, and testing the capacities of our stomachs. Yummy food and possibly even yummier nap after the food-coma set in.
I'm sure I've mentioned it before, but these two are more than just family--they're our good friends too! My sister and I have always been close, in spite of the bouts of sibling rivalry and spats every now and then (Mom and Dad are probably shaking their heads vigorously right now...yep, we were pretty brutal to each other sometimes!). But she's always been one of my best friends. Always will be! It was harder to see them go, knowing that there'd be no more family visits until we go home for Christmas.
Poor hubby knew I was taking it hard when I had not one, but two big fits of sobbing over a TV show we'd been watching. BBC's "Robin Hood" series. "Really?" you ask. Yes! It was just so sad! Here's why. I got attached to the characters and their stories. (No wonder, really, since I'm an editor and love good storytelling!) And when two of my favorite characters died, the fact that things would never be the same from that point onward just killed me. I couldn't hold it back! Messy tears. What was wrong with me? (No no no, Mom, I'm not pregnant! This was not prego-emotional!)
Then it hit me: EVERY MOMENT IS PRECIOUS with the love of my life, my family, and my friends. Okay, not a big revelation. We all know that. What hurt me the most is thinking that I'm missing the moments of their lives--my family's and my friends' on the East Coast. I'm missing the life my sister and bro-in-law will have when babies come. I'm missing helping my parents build an addition and remodel my childhood home. I'm missing seeing relatives on holidays and family gatherings. And things will never be the same. It hurts like heck! That's why I cry.
I wish I could say something cheerful and rosy, something sentimental about the memories we make when we are together, but this is just me being honest. This life is happy, full of wonder, and challenging like I've never been challenged before. Believe me, I'm clinging to God and experiencing His love and provision in new ways. And I'm cleaving to my husband, because I need to be here with him and for him. For better or worse. Just because I miss my family doesn't mean I'm bitter about this new life. Quite the opposite! I just want to make that clear.
April and May--done. Lived. Now comes the challenge of the longest time I've ever been away from family and the East Coast. There's a stubborn side of me that just wants to see if I can do it, not fall to pieces over missing them. There's another, probably more real side of me that's okay with the grieving. With every tear I'm thanking God for the tight-knit kinship He has given us, and for the way He has made us friends as well as family.
April, Mae...June, July, August, September, October, November, December. It'll fly by.
1 comment:
BIG SMILE . . . CRIED . . . HUGE LAUGH . . . WEPTED . . . Ended with tears flowing down my face over my soft smile and a heart full of thanks & praise to our God for giving us the gift of you, precious Tiffany Mae, and of Christen April, Daniel-son, Greg-son, and more 'gifts' to come! Love you Sweets, Ma(& Pa)
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