Make the Trip

This week, I am going to step away from sports and share some observations from this week as I headed back to my hometown for the weekend to celebrate my uncle’s one hundredth (!) birthday on Sunday as well as a gathering of my cousins who were around for the birthday. I must admit, after a long week of activities and of life, I questioned the long drive and the time to spend going. It took a conversation with a great friend to make me realize the trip needed to be made and I would benefit greatly from going. Boy, was that the case!

First stop was the Lakes for the cousins gathering, some who I had not seen for many years. We spent some time each going around and talking about our families and what we had been up to. Amazing stories were shared and each of us has had a number of family hardships, especially the loss of close family members, which definitely connected us all even more. A very emotional time but so good to catch up and remember the good times of the past but also to know that we are still family despite the time away and will always be there for each other.

Next up was a stop by my mom who is in a nursing home in Sibley. She has some physical hardships to deal with but is amazingly sharp for age 91 and I always feel better when I leave than I did before hand. Mom always asks the right questions and stays positive no matter what is going on. Her infectious attitude makes her a favorite of everyone who meets her and what a blessing she is to everyone in her life.

The final stop was at my Uncle Clarence’s one hundredth birthday celebration. How amazing to not only make it to 100 but he still lives in his own house, drives his own car, has had very few health issues, and is still active in the community! A large group came out to honor him today and it was a testiment to the life he has led. He is one of four siblings who are about to be 98, 96, and 91 (mom). Hopefully that is good news for my cousins and my futures! It was a great afternoon catching up with so many people who I had not seen for a long time and honoring an incredible achievement.

I spent the 3 hour drive home counting my blessings and being thankful for taking the time to make the trip. We all get so caught up in our daily lives and what is important at the time that we forget about what really matters, which is our relationships with our families and friends, and taking the time to connect with them. How can we find ways to stay connected to those we don’t have the opportunity to see on a daily basis? One of the earlier newsletters talked about how important close relationships are to a long life and healthy living…..Uncle Clarence and his siblings obviously have amazing connections to so many….what can we learn from their lives? Take the time to make the trip, make the call, whatever it takes, to connect to those away from us. It helps you to know their stories and be able to support when things are not going as they should. We don’t know how many opportunities we will have to connect and make a difference in someone’s life. Our daily lives and activities are important but being intentional about our extended families and friends who we aren’t always able to connect with is vital as well. And if push comes to shove, make the trip!