A reminder that nothing lasts forever.

I’m in Kansas City for my sister’s wedding this Saturday. I got here on Tuesday, and the bride-to-be arrived Wednesday. The Big Man and our girls arrive this afternoon.

It was strange. I realized that Wednesday night was probably the last night for a long, long time that the four of us – me, my sister, my mother, my father – would be alone together. After years and years in which that was our everyday pattern, now that’s really over. From now on, we’ll always be with various husbands and children, too. Which is fun and wonderful, but not the same.

Right now, it’s not remarkable at all (obviously) for the Big Man, the Big Girl, and the Little Girl and I to be hanging around our apartment.

That night was a reminder to me that although these cozy family days seem limitless, they aren’t.

Comments

[Katie]

My family has gone camping at the same campground every summer for 30 years or so (since before I was born!). I can remember when it would be my parents, brother and sister, myself and the dog all in one cozy tent on one campsite. Now it takes three adjacent campsites and a hotel room down the road to hold my folks, my siblings and their spouses, six nieces and nephews, two dogs and a rabbit. But we still go as a whole family every year.

Yes, cozy things don't last forever, but they can often be replaced by something equally meaningful, rather than just being lost in nostalgia-land. :)

[Kevin in New Hampshire]

Thanks for the reminder and for sharing. I'm 46 with three kids that are 7, 9, and 13 -- so your comments are real to me. I appreciate them.

And thanks for this blog -- I read your work regularly and really enjoy/appreciate what you're doing. I found you based on someone saving a link to you in ma.gnolia (a del.icio.us-like site).

Have fun at the wedding!
-kevin in NH

PS. I'm in the process of launching a blog myself and working on sharpening the idea/positioning -- so the site my name links to is still in a bit of a state of flux.

[kstyle]

Congrats to your sister and have a wonderful day. I think it's neat that your original family is the same as your family now. Two paents and two daughters. In my case I did a flip flop. I grew up in a house of girls and now I live in a house of boys. In fact very interesting. My mother had daughters and with only one exception her daughters all had sons. You just never know what the chromosome gods are going to dole out. k

[Amy]

Recently my husband of 12 years came home from Afghanistan for 15 days of R&R. We've lived apart for 11 months. We won't see him again until February. 264 days. God Willing.

Those two weeks we spent together, just the four of us, were surreal. A family, a mother, a father, a brother and a sister just being together at home. Eating dinner at the same table, in the same time zone. Cheering together at a baseball game, standing with hands on hearts during the national anthem...

So many families were there with us. How many of them realized what a privilege it was for them just to be together?

[Chris]

Welcome back. Hopefully the off-and-on rain today was off during your sister's wedding (especially if it was an outdoor event).

[Janna]

I've felt that way a lot recently. As the youngest in my family, I have slowly seen those cozy days at Grandma and Grandpa's house begin to disappear. The innocence is gone, especially since I have vastly different views of the world in comparison to my family. It's not fun, but I still love my family and am glad to spend any time with them. Even if now they gang up on me, the crazy liberal, with their conservative political arguments.

[karenlim]

Many times we forget the ones who stay with us the longest in life.

Whether good or bad times, we can rely on them.

I practice attitude of gratitude to get more in life. I also listen to soundwave music to increase my focus and visualization.

This pdt is creatd by Stephen Pierce and I want to share his story on why such a pdt is created:-
http://secretofunlimitedprosperity.com/19/attraction-accelerator-a-word-from-the-creator/

Cheers, Karen

[Wesley]

This struck a chord because I was working on a post (linked) about how rock bands that I had worked with rarely had the ability to enjoy the moment and they were struggling with career development. It wasn't until years later that they had the perspective to look back at the amazing experiences they were having. Perspective about enjoying the moment must be one of the key elements for living a contented life.