The snow and the cold licked her skin trying to make everyone go faster, go inside, get moving in cars. The cold and the snow tried to reach past her skin but she was immune. Her family was leaving. For four days they had shared her life. They had slept in her rooms, watch movies on her TV, met her friends, laughed with her, ate with her, and always there were stories being told and being made. For Four days her whole world was incredible.
Her world was still incredible, but now it was a little quieter. She stood in the harsh light, making visible the painful events. She stood in the cold that was trying to take away her warmth and watched her family pile into their car and drive away.
There was sadness, yes, but not now. That would come later when the silence of her home deafened her. It would come when she would think of a joke and would realize that no one was there to laugh at it. It would come when she tried to decide what to eat and no one was there to make a wild and spontaneous suggestion. The sadness would come, but now she only felt love and joy and appreciation. They had come for her, for no other reason than because they loved and missed her. They had driven all night, been colder then they could remember, and annoyed at the price of cheese and been happy about it because they were glad to be there with her.
As I watched that car drive away, I could not hold back the tears that came to my eyes. They were my family. They were MY mother, MY father, and MY brother. When the sadness comes, as it surely must because that is how I know how much fun I had and how much love there is, I will remember. I will see my dad busily cooking in the kitchen, making a mess. I will see my brother melted into the couch as if he were an organic growth and made for the couch. I will see my mom lying in the room or in the chair or on the couch reading or crocheting listening to everyone else.
I will see them and I will remember ... THIS is my family.
Her world was still incredible, but now it was a little quieter. She stood in the harsh light, making visible the painful events. She stood in the cold that was trying to take away her warmth and watched her family pile into their car and drive away.
There was sadness, yes, but not now. That would come later when the silence of her home deafened her. It would come when she would think of a joke and would realize that no one was there to laugh at it. It would come when she tried to decide what to eat and no one was there to make a wild and spontaneous suggestion. The sadness would come, but now she only felt love and joy and appreciation. They had come for her, for no other reason than because they loved and missed her. They had driven all night, been colder then they could remember, and annoyed at the price of cheese and been happy about it because they were glad to be there with her.
As I watched that car drive away, I could not hold back the tears that came to my eyes. They were my family. They were MY mother, MY father, and MY brother. When the sadness comes, as it surely must because that is how I know how much fun I had and how much love there is, I will remember. I will see my dad busily cooking in the kitchen, making a mess. I will see my brother melted into the couch as if he were an organic growth and made for the couch. I will see my mom lying in the room or in the chair or on the couch reading or crocheting listening to everyone else.
I will see them and I will remember ... THIS is my family.
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