family

My mother died in April of 1999.  She was the glue that held my family together.  I have three younger brothers.  She had four children in five years and started having babies at the age of 17, which is the same age as my daughter.  So much for a young girl to handle.  Sure she had my father, but back in those days, the woman did all the work.

No matter what we all knew we had our mother to turn to when this world got to crazy.  She was a rock.  A housewife who's only job ever was to be our mother.  As I grew up and became a mother myself I began to see my mother differently.  At the time I used to see her as a weak person, she was very high strung, smoked too much and drank too much wine every single night.  But her personality never, ever changed, she was always the same loving woman.  always.  Even after she quit all her vices and still five years later developed lung cancer. She was strong, and never complained.  After her death we no longer had her to keep us connected.  We all got caught up in life.

So today when my brother and his family had the funeral for little Tyson, I was happy to see all of my family together.  Ever since my mother's death we have gone on with our lives, dealing with the daily business of raising families, working and paying the bills.

It took a sad event to bring us back together again.  Don't get me wrong, I see my brothers here and there, Matt's wedding, 2 of the came, Tim's graduation, 1 of them came.  But it's not the same as all of us being together.

It was a glorious reunion.  Time stood still and it felt like only yesterday that we had last seen each other.  My own children, all three of them came today also.  They saw that my brothers and I had been a part for so long.  They vowed to never let life get in the way of spending time together.  I hope they keep that promise.

When the world gets rough, family is the one thing I have always known I could count on.  And after today I am going to be around more, make more time, be less consumed by my own little world.  Get reaquinted with my nieces and nephews, my brothers, my family.

The funeral was sad, my brother's friends from high school were there.  It's as if when bad things happen, the troops come in and hold us up.  It was wonderful.  His church had a luncheon afterward, you know the type with fruit salad, potatoe salad, hot beef and yellow cake.  Made things easier, safer, a place to talk and reflect, plan our future.  We said goodbye to little Tyson, who always will be in our hearts.  Right now there's a little boy named Rylan who is getting stronger, healthier who will be welcomed with open arms to his wonderful now more grateful family.