It’s All About The Family
Even if I don’t do anything else today but this, I will consider it a superior day off. This is my cousin and her beautiful family. They have graciously allowed me to post their picture and talk about them today. That would be Linda to the left (she comments quite hilariously from time to time, as you may have read here if you follow along this little bloggy thing, and/or actually read the comments) and her hubby Chris to the right. The girl in front is their daughter Meranda and the boy in the back is their son Andrew. It’s not really fair to call them “girl” and “boy” anymore as they are now grown adults and living their own separate lives. The way you do when you have awesome parents to raise you and send you out into the world equipped with the knowledge and skills you are going to need to battle on through, and the security of knowing that no matter what happens in this life there are people around who will always have your back and guide you safely home if ever need may be. And that’s a good thing.
My family spent Saturday night hanging out with this family, and all my other family, to wish that man in the back a safe goodbye from our little corner of the world and into the wide open spaces of everywhere else. Andrew is leaving on a plane today and heading to Georgia, where he is going to become a soldier in an easy 15 week program we like to call job orientation. Yeah right. Look at that beautiful boy with that gorgeous curly hair. Tomorrow he will be bald and uniformed up, in the company of a hundred other beautiful sons, from all over America, running running running running until he’s too tired to even eat or sleep, and then running some more. The ultimate goal here is to jump jump jump jump. Andrew wants to fly. But not in the plane. He wants to soar into the sky as high as the machinery can take him and then leap out into the open blue and let the winds bring him safely back to earth. Airborne but rock steady. We raise these kids with our best ability to dream as big as they want, go forward as far as they can, and rise as high as their minds can ever imagine. But we usually like to keep them on the ground. Safe with us. Safe with family. Safe with friends. Just…safe. But when we do get that rare chance to see a sweet little boy turn into a strong young man, well, it’s really hard to try and hold them down. You just have to let them fly. And you have to trust that they will come back to you.
I feel so lucky to have been able to be there on Saturday to say goodbye. And to wish Andrew well on his journey into the clouds, and above and beyond, but still on the ground. (I hear there might be some sort of daily exercise routine that encompasses calisthenics and trail walking. Like a vacation spa! They even feed you for free!) Ha ha. I have to joke somewhere because sometime it’s necessary. And that’s who we are. Anyway, good luck and god speed, to someone who is already fit to live in this world quite successfully, but will return as the new and improved version of the extraordinary young man he already is. Take as much care as you can. Keep your feet clean and dry.
Love and more love to all.
Chris and Linda, you guys did really really good. Your kids are awesome. Period.
just shy of pretty 
CuZo Linda said,
September 17, 2012 at 12:12 pm
Weeeeeell Lisa… thanks for that. Very well said. You have that gift.
Thanks for making me cry….. AGAIN!
Smooch to your wonderful family. ALL OF YOU!
Thanks for sharing the day with us.
Lorraine said,
September 17, 2012 at 12:13 pm
What a poetic farewell! Nicely done Cousin!
Linda :-) said,
September 17, 2012 at 12:16 pm
Weeell Lisa… thanks for that. Very well said. You have that gift.
Thanks for making me cry….. AGAIN!
Smooch to your wonderful family. ALL OF YOU!
Thanks for sharing the day with us.
Amanda a.k.a The Greatest sister in the World said,
September 17, 2012 at 3:03 pm
I like this entry! Very sweet. I wonder if there is a way to share this on FB?? Also, Linda, glad you liked my little nickname for you well enough to use it here! Ha ha! And Andrew is a VERY handsome, respectful, polite gentleman…good job mom! (Meranda is of course, also wonderful, respectful, beautiful, polite young woman!) Oh wait, I see the little FB icon right now…
SMILE Sunshine said,
July 14, 2021 at 11:27 pm
WOW, September of 2012 and it’s now 2021!
I can’t believe I came across this wonderful memory while looking through WP for something else.
Your words pressed on my heart AGAIN after all these years and even made me tear up!
Even more so because I could post a picture of you and your family reflecting the time you were sending your awesome, handsome, young man to run, run, run and to enjoy his free meals…lol
I’m so glad I came across this post!
Thank You, you’re amazing!
Hugs 🙂
masnstevy said,
July 26, 2021 at 5:41 pm
Thank you so much for your kind words! So many changes have happened since then and if I ever get serious here I can update our small world right? I mean you are a GRANDMA!! Like 3 times over lol lol. Otherwise, life just keeps moving. I only saw this now because I also do not check my email often enough either. But you are an approved commenter for life so you don’t get flagged lol! Anyway, you are right though, the words are true. YOU and Chris are still amazing yourselves and have awesome kids. You were my template. I love you so much! XO