Monday, May 2, 2016

Family



Every time people find out that I just moved from Florida to Chicago, I get "Why would you do that?" To those in the Chicago area Florida is a dream, the end game of life where you can live out your time in paradise. The truth is that Florida is no paradise to me. The only thing it had to offer was warm weather in the winter. For that I had to put up with eight months of hot, humid weather, hurricanes, and vermin. Rats, palmetto bugs, Burmese pythons, and mosquitoes. What I gave up to live in that paradise was family. Over the years I have missed weddings, funerals, and watching my nephew and nieces growing up. I missed family get togethers, and family squabbles. Now that I'm living here in Chicago again it seems that I need a scorecard before I open my mouth at family affairs. But I don't care. I'm glad to be part of it all.
On Saturday my sister's husband died. I did not realize how sick he was or I would have made more of an effort to visit him and my sister sometime over the last three weeks. Don was always a decent man and as far as I know loved by everyone in the family. I'm sorry I didn't get a chance to see him, but at least I don't feel so disconnected from my family as I did in Florida. A sad occasion, but I'm glad I'm here for it.

3 comments:

  1. Alan, I couldn't agree with your more. I don't think I will every live back in the Chicago area but I'm happy to visit and sad when I leave. Don and Sue always seemed to be a genuinely happy couple and that is hard to come by. My heart goes out to our sister and her loss. I wish I could of made it down. Paul

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  2. Oh Alan -- I relate so much to this post. And I'm very sorry for your family's loss. I'm glad you are there for her, too.

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    1. After I wrote this and read it back, I actually thought of you.

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