There's No Place Like...Family

"There's No Place Like...Family"

Since Mike and I married, I don’t get to see my side of the family that often. My mom, children and grands are at least an airplane ride away. But this past week was an exception. My oldest daughter and oldest grandson drove from Ohio to Florida for a short visit…With My Mama! The visit was brief, but a wonderful experience for this girl. 

They had all heard us describe our Florida home and looked at the pictures on the internet when it was on the market in 2023. We’ve changed nearly everything in the house since then. Roof to floors. Inside and out. But the big draw for us…and them? The outdoor space. The lake. You can go to Lowes or Home Depot all you like, but you can’t improve that view.

We took the boat out on the lake, marveled at the wildlife, fed some fish and watched the glow of the sunset dissolve into night. 

My Mom and Grandson
With Mike at the Helm

We took the boat to one of our favorite restaurants, The Cove. Delicious and fun.

We connected with family. Mike’s son and younger sister got to meet Allison and Joshua for the for the first time. My brother-in-law and sister-in-law on the Waters side came for dinner on Sunday after our visit to the Stable Faith Cowboy Church. 

Three days doesn’t sound like much, but we made the most of it. Allison had to get back to work. Joshua had to get back to college. 

We tried to coax Mom into staying a bit longer, but no. She also “needed to get back.”

I love my family. Mike and I are carving out a new life and new routine. It includes our lake life here in Florida and trips to Ohio. 

I was fearful I might feel empty when that car pulled out of the driveway taking members of my family back north, but I didn’t. I feel full. Complete. Happy. 

It isn’t proximity to our family and friends that makes us happy. It is love. 

There is a passage in the Bible many call “the love chapter.” You can read the entire passage in I Corinthians, chapter 13. It’s online, if you don’t have a Bible.

Part of that chapter basically says, “Love doesn’t insist on having its own way…and…Love never ends.”

Yep, I have lived in many places. I have lived with my family and apart from my family. But God is right (again…still…). “Love never ends.”

No matter where I live.