FAMILY...

The "DECK" is already STACKED.
You REALLY don't get to CHOOSE.
Your MOM "bore" you all,
And, you spend your LIFE,
TRYING to "co-exist" with each other.

Sometimes...

With FAMILY...
(Mine Included!)

Although you had NO choice in...
WHO they are...
How many of you there would be.

You are STILL...
Brothers...Sisters...

Sharing...

A Room, A Home...

Parents.

There IS some CHOICE in this equation...

That choice is...LOVE.

And, I CHOOSE to LOVE my Family...

The BEST I know how!

If your Family is ANYTHING like mine...

At Times...
(Believe Me!)

That poses a CHALLENGE!

But, to HONOR my Mother's Memory,

So, her SACRIFICES for US,

Weren't in VAIN.

Because we ATE together...
PLAYED together...
FOUGHT together, and each other.

Had our own "BACKYARD" Softball Team...
We went Rollerskating at the "Y".
Played, "Match Game" in OUR Living Room...
"Hey Elaine! I like your legs! wink...wink!"
(Private Banks Family joke...Can't BEGIN to make you understand!)

Pulled our sleds up the "Big Hill"...
Played Hopscotch...
Poison Box.

And, from CHILDREN...

Became ADULTS together.

Women and Men.
Mothers and Fathers.
Wives and Husbands.

STILL...

Remaining FAMILY.

Through the HIGHS...
And, the LOWS...

Our Individual TRIUMPHS...

The LOSS...

Of our MOTHER...

The "arms" that HELD us ALL.

Because when I Really NEEDED you...

When I thought Breast Cancer would TAKE my LIFE.

YOU...

Were There.

You...

LOVED ME...

LISTENED to me...

HELD me when I heard the words...BREAST...CANCER.

PRAYED over the BLOOD they gave me.

And, were at EVERY Doctor's Appointment,

ER Visit.

Surgery...After...Surgery...

Tear...For...Tear...

My FAMILY...

Has been by my SIDE!

So, I will CONTINUE...

To "choose" to LOVE you ALL...

As long as God Allows.

Until Next Time...

"Love BEARS all things...Love BELIEVES all things...
Love HOPES all things...Love ENDURES all things.
Love NEVER fails..."
1 Corinthians 13:7-8

ROAD TRIP!

Since returning to work,
Money's been a little "tight!"
I've been back full time for a little over a year now.

A year you say?

And, you're STILL PLAYING "CATCH UP?"

Well, I was OFF a little OVER a year.

I rest my case!

IF you haven't been there...

So...

My MODE of travel for Vacation...

ROAD TRIP!

I'm in Alabama for the Labor Day Holiday...

I traveled here with Family.

It ONLY took...10 hours...32 minutes...And, 5 seconds!

The reason I know how long it took....EXACTLY,

In MY car was...My Father...His Girlfriend...

So...I...Along with my car (Although new!)...Has Aged,

At LEAST 20 EXTRA years...

With the "Seniors" in tow!

The "Seniors" packed like we were going for TWO WEEKS...

Instead of the FOUR days...

We're ACTUALLY STAYING!

When I "mentioned" I was hungry while I was driving here...

They had "grits"...Yes, Grits!

Salami...Cheese...Crackers...Fried Chicken Wings...And, Bread.

Water...Tea...And, "cups" of Ice!

ALL of this...

"STORED"...In "plastic" grocery bags!

You "gotta" LOVE...Seniors!

Surprisingly...We "bonded" over music.

I brought ALL the Motown Hits from the 50's & 60's.

My Dad...Who I "affectionately"...Call Poppy,

Brought Anthony Hamilton...R. Kelly...

And, he KNEW...ALL the words!

We laughed...and, sang ALL the way to Alabama!

Anthony Hamilton...R. Kelly?

You could have "knocked" me over with a feather!

Since being diagnosed with Breast Cancer,

MEMORIES...Like this...

The TIME spent with my Family...

Means MORE to me...

Than ALL that OVERTIME money,

I used to "covet".

You Know...

"Life's SIMPLE pleasures ARE the BEST..."

REALLY...Are the BEST...

In ALL the World...

That OLD commercial got it RIGHT!

Until Next Time...

" For EVERY thing...There IS a SEASON"

" A Time to LAUGH...A Time to DANCE..."

Ecclesiastes 3:1-4 (Portions Of!)