It is good to be 
home tonight after a 24 hour trip to Canada. It was one of those trips that was enjoyed at every turn.
My Mom and my two aunts and I went to visit my other aunt. Spending time with four sisters who are now ages 81, 80, 76 and 72 is simply delightful.
It is delightful to hear them remember about their years in the Netherlands…
It is delightful to listen to their conversations, often more in dutch than English…
It is delightful to experience life through their eyes, their reflection of the past and their discussion of their future days, however long those may be.
It sweet to hear them share where they have experienced abundance and goodness and I admire their honesty when they share where their losses have been evident…
It is inspiring to witness my aunt practice her walking. To see my cousin be her coach, encourager and protect
er is very touching.
It is such fun to be with my cousin and his wife and their kids at the retirement village. In those spaces the gift of sharing dinner, being together and 
enjoying laughter is a sharp contrast to the lives of many residents there.
And in the hours on the road, I was keenly aware that I was with three sisters who had all lost a child much too young. I drove and admired the courage of my Mom, Aunt Wilma and Aunt Trina as we remembered Len, Margaret and Ken in small ways.
I am so grateful to be able to accompany my aunts and my Mom to Canada. I learn so much about life by sharing time with them. I learn about each of them individually and I learn about their family of origin. I learn about their struggles and their strengths and how they live out each day.
I am grateful for a family that understands being together, even when it means 12 hours of travel for an 8 hour visit.
I am grateful for a family which shares tears of happiness in their hellos and tears that reveal the difficulty of good byes.
I appreciate that through the losses we have experienced, we have learned that every day is a gift and time together is important.
I hope if you have a friend or family member who would be encouraged to hear from you or see you, that you might reach out and share some of your time, energy and love today.
Trish, thank you so much for sharing…
What a beautiful tribute and food for thought! Thanks, Trish. Aunt Shirley
“Journey to my heart….” wrote: > a:hover { color: red; } a { text-decoration: none; color: #0088cc; } a.primaryactionlink:link, a.primaryactionlink:visited { background-color: #2585B2; color: #fff; } a.primaryactionlink:hover, a.primaryactionlink:active { background-color: #11729E !important; color: #fff !important; } /* @media only screen and (max-device-width: 480px) { .post { min-width: 700px !important; } } */ WordPress.com trishborgdorff posted: “It is good to be home tonight after a 24 hour trip to Canada. It was one of those trips that was enjoyed at every turn. My Mom and my two aunts and I went to visit my other aunt. Spending time with four sisters who are now ages 81, 80, 76 and 72 is sim”
It means so much to us and to mom to have her sisters and niece take time out of their busy lives to make the trip out to Canada to spend time together, however long or short the visit. Trish, thanks for facilitating the visit and for driving those lovely ladies here for a visit. You are very much appreciated and loved. A true gift!