A Creme-Filled Weekend

It was an 'Oreo' kind of weekend. Time for myself at the beginning. Time for myself at the end. With a lot of good creamy filling in between. I need those not-as-memorable wafers to act as a sandwich so that the good stuff doesn't get lost.

Saturday morning was a dream. Time to putter. Time to be quiet. I need more time-like-that. Because I really, really need time to inhale. Time to read. Time to take things in ... before I can exhale fully.

Then came the whirlwind. Cleaning. Baking (argh!!). Organizing. Rearranging. Shopping.

Thankfully my company arrived and put an end to the whirlwind cleaning spree. My world slowed down. We sat still. We visited. We ate. I cooked put together a meal. And it didn't hurt. In fact it was really quite fine. Food seasoned with good company always tastes better.

The next morning we woke up to a day where we were gathering with family to say one last farewell to an aunt. A sister. A wife. A mother. Grandmother. And great grandmother. A friend....

It was also a day that my mom went to visit her sister who is presently bouncing back from a rough stretch. The visit was more than we could have ever hoped for...

My aunt could not stop gazing at My Brother. She sees My Dad in him. That fills my heart. We may lose those we love far too soon. But they live on inside of us. And if we are very, very lucky ... we may find a glimpse of their physical presence within our family.

We spent the afternoon among family. Nestled within the confines of our home town, we found comfort. Simply ... by being together. Few words were necessary, but the words that were spoken ... or sung ... or thought ... were enough.

Then came the long ride 'home'. My mom's home. I was a passenger in the back seat of my brother's car (kudos to my anti-nausea patches - they made the impossible ... possible). Windows were open to cool us down. Conversation was not possible over the sound of the wind within the car. It was a quiet ride home. We all had lots to think about. We were silent among ourselves. But we were not alone. It was a comforting ride.

There was time to sleep, then it was time for me to make the return trip back to my own home (I have given my mom's car a home - all I had to do was pick it up).

Six hours of solitude wrapped up a very busy, thought provoking weekend. And it was good. I was sufficiently caffeinated and I made the trip home fully alert and on my game.

I came home to find My Youngest holding down the fort. He tended to our cat family, our yard and himself in my absence. He is a good guy to have around the house.

As I readied myself for the week ahead, I was happy. I was content. I was 'full'. Weekends such as the one I just lived, have the ability to wear me down. Not this one. All the good stuff was held together within the flavor of those two chocolate wafers of solitude.

It feels good to be home.