Catching Up

Dear Loved Ones,

God bless you, your loved ones and your ministries this week!

Do you have a loved one with whom you are so bonded that it doesn't matter how long it's been since you saw one another, it feels like no time has passed at all?

That's how I feel when I get together with my siblings.  My sister, Debbie and I spent a day together on the prettiest day in October when the colors were at the peak of their glory to drive over to Lake Michigan.  When we stopped to buy stain for her deck, I spotted a box of giant red tulip bulbs and bought them on impulse to plant in my garden as a reminder of the lovely day that we were enjoying.

After lunch we stained Deb's deck and still had time to put together a vintage Norman Rockwell puzzle called "Off to Collage" before hosting an intimate dinner for Dad and Bev.  It was the perfect ending to a perfect day.  The only down side was that Dad was greiving over Max the loyal dog that I gave to Dad when Max was still a puppy, as a surprize.

Lazy me set the bulbs aside for a few weeks until Deb returned in November for another sister puzzle day.  Just before she arrived I planted the bulbs as a reminder of that day as well.

Time with my siblings is especially sweet and tender because of the loss we feel from losing our youngest sister in a car accident when she was 33 years old.  We understand the value of a sibling; no one else shares all of those memories.

Sometimes I hear people talk about conflict with their siblings and wish that they too understood how important siblings can be.  However I do not wish that they go through what we did to discover this knowledge.

I am often reminded of how short and precious life is and how lucky we are to have people in our lives with whom we can share love and joy.

Love, Sue