I'm baaack!

First of all, many thanks to those of you who left comments of encouragement and/or  condolences.  Just when I'm about to be a complete cynic, those that are good in the world appear and reach out to touch another, even a stranger.  I am truly grateful.

It was WAY too short a trip.  I was only in California for 28 hours or so.  Kinda crazy.  If the cost of lodging hadn't been a consideration I could have stayed a few more days.  But it was good to see family who(m?) I hadn't seen in about 3 years, since my Aunt passed.  Also in attendance were people from the church I was raised in as a little girl. It's kind of odd to have folks in their 70's & 80's come up to you and they remember you from infancy!  Considering that I'm now

50 (ugh!) that's a loooonng time!  My Dad had been the pastor, and he and my uncle and a number of other men actually built the church and parochial school themselves back in the early 50's. For those of you familiar with the Burbank, CA area, it's First Lutheran church on the corner of Glenoaks and Alameda. I came along in '56, and went to the school there from K-3rd grade.

With my Uncle's passing comes the end of an era.  The "old guard" of our family are all gone now.  The house that my Aunt & Uncle bought 41 years ago, and which holds SO many childhood memories, will at some point be sold by my cousins. It's kind of like a "touchstone" being eliminated.  Of course there will always be the memories, but coming back to that house was the most consistent "home" in my life (my home with my parents was a few years here, 7 years there, 9 yrs the next place...then I was married to someone in the Navy, so we moved around a lot.

I feel very privileged to have had the opportunity to know and share the planet with such fine people as my Aunt Audrey and Uncle Gordon.  Their solid unwavering faith in God and servants hearts were a wonderful example to everyone fortunate enough to know them.  I thank God for each person He's allowed me to know along MY journey. 

Is there someone in your life that needs to hear how much you value them?  Don't wait until a special occasion.  You might not get that opportunity again.  Life is fleeting.  Show your love and appreciation now, while you can, and as often as you can.  Before another sun sets.  You'll be glad you did.