Today is my Dad, Monica's Dad, and Monica's older sister Amy's birthday. (Happy Birthday everyone!) I just got back from having a nice meal out at the Olive Garden. Clare came down for a visit, bringing the beautiful Esme (my niece) with her, and my step-brother and his wife joined my Dad, Step-Mom and me there also.
We ordered lots of appetizers, and of course consumed much of their delicious bread sticks (they were good and garlicky/salty today!) Then we each enjoyed our main entrees and finished the meal with a small birthday cake provided by the restaurant. It was a nice time all around...but now I'm STUFFED! Italian is one of my favorite foods, and I eat it every chance I get (especially when I'm not buying! hehe) Anyway, I was the only one to finish my plate and not have any to take home. Does that say I'm a pig, or that I just don't eat enough? *g* I was fairly full long before the second breast of Italian herbed and breaded chicken, but I persevered and finished it off, along with the last few cheese stuffed tortellini pasta shells. And THEN I ate another bread stick! Why do I do it to myself?!?
It was delicious though, and I was glad I had the opportunity to spend some time with my family. More and more these days I'm reminded of the importance of family. After Kim's death last Friday, it was amazing to see all the love and support that was heaped on Monica and her sisters from both sides of her wonderful (and enormous) family. That love helped, and will continue to help her get through this difficult transitional phase of adjusting to life without her mother. I've been there, and I know how hard it is, but the Lord saw fit to give her an amazing support network of family and friends, and together we shall all work to take care of Monica, and try to return her to some semblance of a normal life.
Thank you to all of you who provided company, food, money, and support of any kind to Monica and her sisters. You may never know how much it meant to her, and to me. So as I bring this post to a close, remember to take the time to look around you and realize the friends and loved ones in YOUR life. Treat your family and friends with respect and love, because one day you may need all that love in return.
Peace, and have a wonderful (if insanely hot) Sunday.
2 comments:
this is so true and i believe it too! i love you matt...and am so glad you are my brother...and uncle to jack and esme! i jmiss you too...please come visit again soon...wanna come for the cob workshop? you could be the photographer if you didnt' feel like getting muddy =)
I'd love to come up, but I think we're going to do stuff around the house (like take excess trash to the dump!) Sounds exciting, huh? Monica had the day off today, and to keep herself from thinking about her mom (and to get our place back in shape), she threw herself into housework, and when I came home today, and opened the front door, I thought I was walking into a different house! It looked so clean and amazing!
We have a bunch of stuff to sell and/or get rid of, that's now on the back porch, but the house looks great once again. Now if we could only find the kittens (they both bailed off the back porch, and we haven't seen them since. Oh well, 2 less animals to find homes for! J/K *snicker*)
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