Family visits bring joy

It was a short note from a long lost relative telling me that she would be in town for the annual swap meet. She was manning a table at the flea market in an effort to sell some of the items her late husband had collected.
Normally I stay away from flea markets. I have no desire to own more stuff. The prices are often too attractive to resist and I would rather avoid the temptation. The offer of a chance to catch up with a part of the family I see all too rarely was too appealing to avoid. I stopped by her booth and we had a nice visit. We made promises to get together more often and I stuffed my hands in my pockets to keep from buying anything on the way out.
The next day we had plans to meet my husband’s sister and her youngest daughter in Oxford. The arrangements had been made a week or so before. I had hoped that my husband’s new knee would be up to the task of driving but it was not to be.
A two-hour trek, complete with a detour down a narrow, winding road, brought us to the agreed upon restaurant. A beautiful, tall and obviously pregnant girl waved at us. After hugs were exchanged we waited in line for a table. We started telling stories while we waited. We continued talking all through lunch. Our niece positively glowed as she told us about her husband’s trip to Indonesia on a mission with a charity that provides eyeglasses to those in need.
Too soon it was time to go home. We made promises to get together more often. An invitation was extended to meet the baby whenever he or she makes an appearance. More hugs were exchanged and we made our way back home.
The next day I was returning from the weekly shopping trip when the phone rang. It was my brother, Michael’s, wife. They were on their way to town for the swap meet and would stop at our house on the return trip.
An hour or so later there was a knock on the door. I hadn’t seen either of them in several months due to conflicting work schedules. We had a nice visit before I loaded them up with what little produce was left in the garden. We parted with promises to get together more often.
We rarely have company and to reconnect with so many family members in the space of a few days was a treat. After the past couple of months of not knowing if my mom was going to be OK or not, it was just what I needed.
Our families are spread across the country. We seldom get the time to catch up except in short snippets of electronic messages. Phone calls are hit or miss at best. Sometimes it seems that the only time we see distant relatives is at weddings or funerals. Neither of those occasions is conducive to a thorough visit.
Families are important. They are the ones who know exactly what we are going thorough at any given moment. We share history as well as genes. They are the ones we turn to for support and encouragement. Family can cheer us up like no other. They can make us laugh until tears run down our faces. They love us even when we are at our worst and will not hesitate to let us know when we are behaving badly. They rejoice in our triumphs and support us when we need it.
It was a wonderful few days and because our families took time to share their time and stories, I am once again prepared for the next round of whatever life has in store.