Memory Filled Road Trip

We have just returned from a trip 400 miles north of our home to attend services for my Dad's brother who was my uncle and Godfather. We drove my Dad and his Sister up with us where we were greeted by nearly 50 of my cousins and their families who had traveled in from across the country to say their good byes. While the reason for the trip was a sad occasion, it was actually quite an uplifting trip and journey.  The gathering of family for the occasion gave us all the opportunity to share story upon story of our childhoods together where we realized the appreciation we have for our parents bringing us into the world and making us all a family.  Instead of grieving for my uncle, we celebrated his life as we viewed a tribute video his family had made including his trips to Australia to visit family, pictures of him riding a camel and embracing a koala bear.  He enjoyed golf both in Wisconsin and Arizona where he spent a couple of months each winter to visit another of he and my aunt's 5 children.  He loved going out on his pontoon boat with his family and fishing with my Dad. He and my Dad enjoyed friendly competition when they golfed, taking it to another level and making a small trophy with a golf ball on top the winner kept until the next golf game together.  As we walked around his home on the lake where he and my Dad shared many great times together after my Mom and my Aunt passed away, many stories were shared of the brothers dealing with their grief and loss at the house on the lake.  Each night after a day on the lake fishing, they would enjoy a Manhattan cocktail before dinner sometimes consisting of the daily catch of the day or an occasional supper together at the local supper clubs.  To have had the opportunity to share these memories with my Dad and Aunt over the past few days and cousins is something I will always cherish. I'm not sure Dad or my husband and I will travel up there again so I spent a lot of time taking pictures to capture in albums for Dad, my Aunt and myself.  My Dad is in his mid 80's and is in good health, living in the house he and my Mom raised their family of 5 children. I watch others close to me going through the heartache of losing parents and feel gratitude for the time I spend with my loved ones every day.

~Cherish your moments and thanks for reading my story~