Heading Home

I'm sitting in the Dayton airport, waiting for my flight to start boarding, so if this ends suddenly, you'll know why.

Spending the night in a motel was a brilliant idea - I was asleep before 1030, and slept through the night, other than waking up for a phone call from a friend who was concerned. I had called her earlier, because I was dreading going back to my dad's house, since I had no idea what I'd walk into, at that point.   She hadn't been able to talk when I called, so she called me back (well after her regular bedtime) to make sure that everything was ok.

Anyway... Saturday was a good day.  I had promised my sister that I would take some pictures for a friend of hers who was going to be graduating high school, so we met them around noon in my sister's town, at the park.  I had fun taking pictures of the graduating senior on the slide and jungle jim, and between the trees and such. The beauty of digital is that you can take pics forever (well, until you run out of memory), so I took about 50 pictures of her. Then I remembered that I hadn't packed my card reader, and I never carry my camera cable, becuase I always use a card reader. Oops!  So we headed off to CVS to make a picture CD, then we all went to my sister's home so they could wait while I edited the pics, and added "Kim 2005" to the bottom of the best ones.

I was shocked to realize, when we were done, that it was already 4pm. I had gotten so caught up in what I was doing with the editing  that I hadn't realized how much time had passed. We burned the edited pics to 2 CDs for the mom/daughter, and then I started to work on my sister's PCs (the joy of being the only computer guru amongst the siblings).

The computer work went very quickly - after tearing apart her grandson's PC, I realized that I couldn't get into it to do what I needed (it's an old Compaq, and held together in weird places), so I told her she'd have to take it to her local computer guys.  Then I showed her how to do some things she wanted to do, and before we knew it it was 6pm and I needed to head back to Dad's.

He had called about 430 to see if I was still there, and make sure I was ok. :)  I love it when he's protective, because it's very unusual for him, at least in my experience.   When he called, he told Jo which bars he would probly be at, if he wasn't home, so I'd know where to look for him.

I stopped at Bob Evans' to get my favorite food before heading out to look for him. He wasn't at either bar, and when I got home, he was still in his pajamas.  So apparently, he had decided not to go out that day, which was probably good. I know he was tired, cause we had stayed up late 2 nights in a row, and I've no idea how much sleep he got while the nephew and his wife were fighting the other night.

Oh... since we had company at my sister's, we didn't talk much about the nephew situation. I let her know that I had slept in a motel, but that was about it.

She told me that the wife had left, and I said she'd be back (she is, already). Apparently, she headed out while she was still drunk, and totalled their car, but she's fine.

I dreaded going to my dad's house last night.  I didn't know what I would find there. Would both of them be there, would they be fighting, would they be nice? Who knew?  But I couldn't hide forever, so I went.

Dad was home, as I said, and my nephew was feeding his youngest son, upstairs on the couch.  Baby Dylan is only 7 weeks old, or thereabouts, and a total cutie.  And it's so cool to see a tough young man looking all tender as he feeds his youngest son. It melts my heart every time.

I complimented the nephew on his care of his son, and the obvious love he has for the kids.  And I told Dad I'd be back in the morning to have coffee with him before heading to the airport. He didn't realize I'd gotten a motel (he was asleep when I left the other night), but I told him it was becasue that way the little kids could stay upstairs until it was their bedtime, becasue I was ready to fall asleep right then, and it was barely 830pm. 

This morning, when I saw my nephew again, I repeated how proud I am of him, when I watch him with his kids. He thanked me, and said he was afraid the other night might have ruined it. I  assured him that one night is not enough to change my good opinion of someone. If it were a lifetime of nights like that, it would be different.

I then told him he needs to get into some anger mgmt classes, and that he and his wife need to move somewhere that isn't so convenient for my sister to visit them.   She comes over to see Dad, then snoops around the basement where hte kids are living,  and finds something to complain about so she can stir the pot.  She's my sister, and I love her, but I recognize her passive-aggressive tendencies for what they are, and I know that they put unneeded stress on my nephew's marriage.

Before I left, I sat the nephew's family on the couch and took a family photo, then another one of my nephew holding his son - I love those pics of him, and I think I've taken one of him with each of his sons, now.

Yes, as Shannon pointed out, (maybe not in these same words), my nephew and his wife need Jesus in their lives in a BIG way.  But I didn't say that to them while we were talking, because I know it wouldn't have come across right.  My sister is the secretary and youth pastor at her church, and is always onto them about how they need to be going to church and what-not, and I don't really think they're open to hearing that right now.

Interestingly enough, when I was being a terry-cloth shoulder for the nephew's wife the other night (no one should ever have to cry alone, if there are people nearby), the words that came out of my mouth were "Y'all need marriage counseling," not "y'all need Jesus."  I felt guilty about that, later, and then I realized that I either believe God leads me or I don't. If he is indeed leading me, and I talked about therapy rather than church, it's because they need both, and one is more palatable than the other, right now.   

I will be praying for them, though, in my own semi-coherent way. 

This weekend really brought home to me how empty a life without Christ is, and how blessed I've been to have known Him for so long.  Thanks to Christ in my life, I didn't follow the family dysfunctions (I'm sure I have my own, but at least they're non-traditional),  and I was able to seek and receive the healing that I needed (granted, it took me almost 40 years to get it). 

Anyway, they're starting to board the flight, so I need to sign off and post this.  Three more hours and I'll be back in Georgia, loving on my dogs.  I'm more than ready to be back home.

Comments

[shannonblogs]

Hey who takes care of your dogs when you're gone?

[fiwit]

They stay at their former foster home, with my greyhound adoption group's prez. We used to trade off dog-sitting.. it's gonna be harder for me to help her out, now.

I took them over there on 12/23, cause I was originally leaving on 12/24, so we were separated about twice as long as I originally intended. I missed them. It's amazing how quickly we get used to having them around, ya know?