It has been an interesting weekend.... lots of reminiscing.
Yesterday we remembered my Aunt Judy ... even though she wasn't my blood relative, she was a HUGE part of my life, if only for a season. A season that ended too quickly, in circumstances that mimicked the very ones that brought us into the season that we shared. See, when I was 9 yrs. old my mother passed away while in recovery from heart surgery in Houston, TX. We were staying at Aunt Judy's when this happened, a few weeks ago, Aunt Judy passed away during heart surgery in the same hospital. God did not allow this for no reason, however, I am not sure what the reason is at the moment. I have thought and prayed for the family members often since that day. Sometimes with regret for not keeping in touch better throughout the years, other moments with just plain love and joy for the memories I have because of those years.
In the interim between my mothers passing and the summer my Dad remarried my stepmom (5 years), Aunt Judy was my surrogate Mom, along with a few others who came along side of us. But I remember many weekends and school vacations spent with their family because my Dad still had to work. One summer we almost went with them on vacation to Alabama ... but for whatever reason it wasn't meant to be and we didn't go. But I will always have those few years of memories with me. The have helped shape me into the person I am today. Even when I don't know who that person is. I learned alot about her just yesterday at the service, things I couldn't have know as a child, and for whatever reason never got to know as an adult. I know someday I will see her again, and I will give her a great big hug and tell her something I never did while she was here. I will thank her for everything she did for us all those years, oh so many years ago.
Some of the things we shared were sleepovers .. (LOTS of sleepovers) ... playing in the fort in the woods... dancing like fools in the basement, watching General Hospital in the afternoons, eating ham salad sandwiches in the kitchen, playing games on the kitchen table, while Uncle Jim was watching any game on TV...(and yelling at it) ... playing with their Dog "Nugget" ..... going to the neighbors house next door to play on their tennis court or down the lane to goof off.. and watch the cute boys...talking about those cute boys among other things... I'm certain their were many of those conversations since boys were our main focus, piling in the big white station wagon to go ... well anywhere .... and their were escapades at school ....these are just a few of the things I remember ... there are many more that I have forgotten.
Today we remembered for a happy reason, a high school graduation, another marker for time.. this one an achievement, but with the same family.. (although a different branch) that still we call friends. Life is funny that way, how it can bring you together for the good the bad and the ugly ... somethimes all in one moment.
So thank you Aunt Judy for all the memories and life lessons you helped me through ... and to the Houston families for taking in 2 little girls in the midst of chaos ... and helping calm the storm, while teaching us that family isn't always who your related to by blood but those who are there for you when the going gets rough.
A song that keeps repeating itself in my head is Ray Boltz ... " Thank You" .... - Thank you... for giving to the Lord, I am a life that was changed"
