It’s funny how life teaches us lessons. Recently I learned a very important lesson. The importance of family. I am not referring to my husband/child (they are always at the top of my list of importance!) – this story is about my parents and siblings and relatives. The “larger” family. We live about 400 miles from my parents/family and 600 miles from my husband’s parents/family. I have always been very close with my family and have always valued them, but I have never known just how much until recently.
My husband is out of town on an extended business trip (he’ll be gone three weeks total!). He doesn’t normally travel for work, so this is very odd for us – especially because it is such a long trip. Last weekend, my parents drove out to stay with me and my son for a few days. It was wonderful having them here and it made me think how special our families really are. I wish I lived closer to mine. This is especially true when life isn’t chugging along normally – like now. With my husband out of town, I don’t have anyone to help with my son or the house or just to keep me company, and it made me think how wonderful having your extended family nearby can be.
Family is wonderful for keeping you company, for helping you fix things, for helping out with the kids and for being someone that you can count on. When you don’t have family nearby – everything is more difficult. I have to hunt and beg when I need a babysitter for my son. I don’t have anyone to help me go look at cars to buy or give advice on redecorating my home – or just to have breakfast with on Sunday mornings! My son knows his cousins, but he won’t grow up playing with them on a regular basis – only on holidays or special occasions. I come from a family of three children, but my mother is the baby of eight children – so we have a TON of family in the town where my parents live. I live an 8-hour drive away from all of them.
So today, when you count your blessings – count your spouse/significant other, count your children and don’t forget to count the rest of your family. If they are close by or far away, let them know how much you appreciate them. I will be sure to!
Does your extended family live close by? What are the challenges that you face by being away from your family?
Our family lives close. I am only 10 minutes from my parents and brother. In reading your post I realize how fortunate I am to have them close by. For instance, I called my mom on Saturday night to ask her to pray that my little guy would break his fever and not have a seizure (He had one in April.). She came right over and helped me clean the kitchen and take care of things. My husband was home, but wasn’t feeling well and had gone to bed. It is in the times like that when I know God has blessed us by having them close. I am sorry you don’t live close to your family. I am sure you treasure the times you do get to see them.
.-= Jackie´s last blog ..A Relaxing Day at Home =-.
I don’t know how I would make it without my mom and dad nearby. The last time I tried that, well, lets just say that living in a mission isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, k?
Ours is a very tightly knit family, and that has worked out quite well for us. I love that my daughter spends so much time with her grandparents, and that because of that she spends a great deal of time with her cousins. Although they ‘ve recently moved to Alaska, when they came to visit my mom and dad this summer for two weeks, Mongoosine spent most of those two weeks with my parents too, because it was about spending time as a family.
I hope that this time with your spouse away hasn’t been too terribly vexing for you. I know how upsetting it can be, and how isolated you can feel when you spend some “on your own” time and realize how many little things that your partner does that you had become so accustomed to that they became like breathing- entirely vital, but equally unnoticed.
Be well, and I’m so glad that you got to spend time with your family.
.-= Slee´s last blog ..Dear Mr President =-.
It’s so true … my inlaws live in the same town and I so appreciate all the love and help my mother in law offers me during the week! We need to treasure our family – even if they get on our nerves sometimes as all family members do! 😉 In the end, it all boils down to your family!!!!
.-= Gillian´s last blog ..{Firsts} … =-.
[…] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Judy Masucci and CaraJen. Judy Masucci said: RT @Cara_Jen: RT @MommyNews The Importance of Family: http://bit.ly/WdkGR […]
Hello Judy, I totally understand you. My husband is from a family of eleven children and our son is the #34th grandchild. He does have cousins to play with and I am grateful for that. I come from a close-knit family and 11 of us siblings and cousins combined, grew up together. Now we are far apart, my parents are abroad and my siblings are in California, cousins are in D.C. etc. etc. and my only sister is in Australia. I think it is important for us women – wives and mothers – to have that support system. We have emotional needs that sometimes we cannot go to our spouse for, or maybe our spouses have too much going on that they might find our emotional needs and other needs petty in comparison with theirs. How nice it was for your family to come over when your husband had to go away for work. I wish my parents and brothers could easily do that.
I am thankful that besides raising our toddler here at home, I have something else to do. You are doing a great job and know what, you have created a great community here through your blog and of course you have your Twitter friends.
I think of my family all the time and I’m sure my parents and sibs think of me too. In our case, time and economics prevents us from seeing each other as much as we would like to. It’s not just them i love and miss, I am close to all of my aunts, uncles, cousins, and I really really miss my 92 year old grandmother. I always think of the Powerball…
Thanks so much for your kind words Jeannie! I appreciate it! — Judy