Away and Back...

I don't often get to see my parents.  They still live in Florida and while I try to get down there when I can, with the business still in the first few years and growing rapidly, it's hard to make time for extended visits.  My mom was visiting my sister in North Carolina and while it is still a long trip, it's much closer.  I also wanted to see the kids since they are growing like weeds.  (Plus I was able to squeeze in a little bit of business, which made the trip much more doable.)

I didn't take that many pictures this past weekend.  I'm usually compulsive about pulling out my phone and snapping photos, but it just didn't happen.  Above is a picture I took of the Apple Festival in Hendersonville.  It's one of the few that took over the Labor Day Weekend.

Cynthia and I started work on some projects, but we were both recovering from colds and weren't as energetic as usual.  Mostly the time was spent talking with our mom and playing with the kids and working on puzzles.  It's interesting how we have changed over the years and still continue to change.  When I was growing up there was this empty space in our family and that absence influenced everything.  So much blame and guilt brewed beneath the surface.  Now that we finally have answers and my brother has returned, we're all sort of learning our new roles and there are new things to contend with.  While my mom is thankfully healthy, when I look at her now, I can see the years creeping in on her.  And while I didn't get to see my dad this trip (he stayed back in Florida), I can hear it in his voice.  It's even more pronounced when I see Azalea and how she is quickly transforming into a young lady.  There was a time when she was so small and I was afraid to hold her because I was worried that I'd break her.  Now she's almost as tall as my mom.  It's so strange and I don't think I've fully processed it yet.  As I drove back, I tried to make sense of time and change.  I don't think I came to any solid conclusions... except to cherish the ones you love.