My family....

I spent Christmas 2013 with my family in Cypress, Texas.  Pictured from Left to right: Me, John my brother-in-law, Mary my sister, Michael my brother and Cindy my sister-in-law.  My first cousin Marilyn and her husband Ron arranged a reunion for the entire family to celebrate and to meet me.  No pressure for me (smile).  My “new” family came for all around the USA just to meet me, ME!  I was honored to meet each and every one of them.   I was able to spend ten glorious days listening to stories about my Mother, Dorothy.   Most everyone that knew Dorothy brought with them pictures and shared stories of their times spent with Dorothy in days gone by.  My sister Mary brought her Wedding album, my second cousin Jeanne was the flower girl in Mary’s wedding back in 1968.  We discussed how “if” I was in their life back then how I would have been the flower girl and had a lively fun discussion.  I brought with me by request my baby album, Mary and I looked so much alike when we were little girls.   I will never tire of looking at pictures of my Mother’s  life.  There were also some tears shed, tears of happiness for our coming together and tears shed of sadness that Dorothy had to keep such a secret and the pain that secret cost her, and tears when the time came to an end and we all returned to our home.  We also had fun, we played many outdoor games as the weather was simply beautiful and warm the entire ten days.  We decorated the Christmas tree, worked on and completed a Christmas scene puzzle, took walks.  We shared all meals together, shopped, went to a movie had a blast opening Christmas gifts.  I now have a BIG family, I am in contact sometimes daily with my second cousins and a few third cousins.  I returned home to my Mom and told her all about my trip and still to this day think of something I forgot to share with her and then I start reminiscing.  

Today is my birthday, 52 years ago today at exactly 8am I was born.  Now that I know most all there is to know about my beloved Mother, my birthday is now bittersweet for me.  Anyone that has read this blog from the beginning has to know that I am filled with so much joy and oh so grateful for Dorothy, yet I also think of the pain that she went through the day I was born and the pain she felt for 19 years after my birth until her death.  I am happy I was born, I am happy she is my Mother, I know she is in heaven surrounded by God’s love and looks forward to the day when we can have our own reunion in God’s perfect timing.  

I recently shared with a friend how strange and wonderful it is to see your life work out and how everything fell into place.  My friends comment was that I received a bit of heaven way ahead of schedule.  I certainly did!