On the road heading back to Memphis after a glorious week in Ohio. Lori's driving, Maxwell is singing about being in love, and the kids are sleeping soundly in the back. It's peaceful and today is one of those days when I feel like we're just one big happy family. I like how this feels...something like a fairytale.
A few days ago, I sat in my Aunt Marsha's (actually Lori's aunt) kitchen, eating grits and scrambled eggs, drinking coffee. I listened to her talk about how her dad used to drive the family to Alabama when she was a kid. She talked about how much fun they had visiting their cousins and how they looked forward to seeing them every year. Marsha said that it was important for the kids to know each other..."they have to know their family, otherwise they will be lost.". This resonated with me, because when Lori and I chased our dreams we left some very valuable things behind. My cousins are having kids and building beautiful families.
They say that life goes on, and that time waits for no man. But these cliches aren't so useful when I'm trying to convince myself that it's ok that my kids don't know their cousins. Baby d doesn't know her aunts and uncles as well as she should, and she barely remembers my grandmother. We are disconnected, and I can't help but to think that in some ways we are lost. It's a long road back to Memphis...
Sunday, July 4, 2010
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