Snowy Day

The DC area shuts down with the threat of snow.  Coming from the snowbelt, where we tunnel through the snow, and went to school in near white out conditions, this seemed ridiculous to me in the early days.  I was certain I had the stuff….I could effortlessly handle the little dusting they called storm warnings and covered in detail on the news;   

One day I ignored the warnings, went out on the streets and was almost instantly smacked off the road by other drivers not accustomed to driving in snow.  After making a deal with Jesus, I became ONE OF THOSE DRIVERS who pays attention to the threat of snow with both eyes and ears…AND,  I keep my butt off the roads.

So here I sit at home, the Federal Government is closed down, following a lovely Valentine’s weekend  that  brought both girls home unexpectedly.  While I was so happy to see them, I hated what brought them home.

5 days earlier we received the news that my sweet Aunt had completed suicide.  It hit me very hard not only from realizing the wonderful aunt of my childhood memories had taken her own life, but it was  exactly two years to the day when I received a similar call from my friend Nancy.   

The news set off a grief trigger with Brittany and we soon realized we needed to get her home.  Her dad booked a flight using his miles, and her little sister dropped all her plans to drive up to support her sister.  Valentine’s Weekend went from an empty nester nice dinner, to a weekend full of kids who needed comfort and assurance that life would be ok. There were moments when the girls jumped on my bed and I shared stories about my aunt, spoke of Josh, and broke out in delirious giggles.

Sunday night was an unexpected dinner with their cousin and his girlfriend with an eye to the sky looking for snow.

By Monday, with the storm heading our way, we shooed Stephi back to NC , and dropped Britt off at the airport as the snowflakes began to hit.   When her flight was delayed, her dad began to pace and stalk the airline updates.   Three hours later, she was in the air and made it to Houston before she was stuck overnight, but at least her dad stopped his pacing and called it a night.

Joshua loving the toy he received from Great Aunt B

The girls are doing much better, and so am I after having them home for just a little while.  My heart goes out to my cousins, and I can’t help but feel a little jealous of  the warm homecoming my Aunt had at the pearly gates.

 

Aunt B., You are missed, and Loved Forever!

"This world is to be likened to the porch; the world to come unto the palace." --The Talmud

HUGS!

Sherri