A Place Where I Belong

 

“Love without laughter can be grim and oppressive. Laughter without love can be derisive and venomous. Together they make for greatness of spirit.”
-- Robert K. Greenleaf

I feel refocused, reconnected, and re-energized this week after spending some time with Dan's family. Dan and I have not had a vacation this year and it's been such a stressful summer. So in many ways, I've felt dried up and anxiety-ridden for much of it. 

This past Wednesday we drove 2 hours to meet up with Dan's older brother, wife and son and we enjoyed dinner and some time with them. I went to lunch with a friend on Thursday and I chose to skip the farmers market on Friday and instead spent some time taking my daughter out to lunch. I was actually have a good end of my week. 

Then on Saturday, Dan, Emily and I drove out to Erie to visit Dan's parents and the rest of his siblings. We had a picnic at his sister's house and then the girls went out for ice cream. This morning, Dan and I joined his sister and her husband for a sunrise kayaking and paddle boarding time on the lake.

Even though we were up before the sun came up and were tired, I'm so thankful we did that. We had a wonderful time, it was relaxing and the sunrise was gorgeous. We went out to breakfast and went back to Dan's parents house.

As I type this, the house is silent. Dan and Emily have left to go home, I took an hour nap this afternoon, dinner is done, I'm sitting here while my inlaws read and it's peaceful both in the house and inside my soul. Every so often I need these extended family times to feel like I belong somewhere. There are days when I feel alone, not understood, and it's hard.

I've picked up a rental car and am leaving first thing in the morning to head down to North Carolina and spend a week with my mom and help get her to her radiation and chemo appointments. I'll also get to see my sister for a short bit as she's down there now and I'll be taking her to the airport on Tuesday morning. I'm looking forward to the time I'll spend with my mother and stepdad.

Family. They aren't always perfect. They sometimes drive you nuts. Sometimes they give it to you straight and you might not like what they say. But they make you laugh and they are always there, They remind you that you have a safe place to go, that you are loved, and that you belong.