The Proximity of Family

I am currently in Ohio staying with my parents. Right now I am thankful that we are in the USA again and even though my butt was a little numb after hour eight in the car, the ten hour drive to get here was a blessing. There was no huge bill for a last minute plane ticket and there is no real deadline I have to stick to when it comes to going home.

I am also able to take my school classes with me since they are on-line -- portability -- another plus. I was joking with my husband last night on the phone that I am actually getting more studying done now than I did at home. Here, I don't have the distractions that I so easily succumb to at my own house. Focus is not my strong point.

Family has become so much more important to me during the past few years. I am extremely blessed to have such a wonderful and supportive family, both immediate and in-laws. The most difficult part of loving my family so much is being away from them. Growing up, all of my aunts and uncles and cousins were just around the corner and that sense of family being right there is so comforting. If you need help, there is always someone to call.

I have learned how to live away from loved ones but I long to have those relationships again. I miss getting together for dinners and Chinese lunches. Having my husband's family two hours away is nice, but to have them across town would be better. Sometimes I wonder if close proximity will ever happen, and I continue to hope . . . someday.

Even while we were in Germany I had a family "across town". My friends are as much like family to me as those connected to me by blood or marriage. They feel to me like sisters, brothers, and cousins. Yeah, I still talk with them, some on a normal basis, but we are all dispersed now too. Even my "family" of friends I grew up with are scattered.

So, to all of my family out there, I love you guys. I know that I don't tell you enough. I have been really bad at keeping in touch, calling, and getting together, but I love you no less. I hope that you know that. The proximity of all people that I consider family may not be as close as I would like in miles, but you are ALL locked tight in my heart.