August 31, 2013
The summer has been a busy one. I have been spending time with family. Due to distance and work obligations, my time with my family is limited. As a result, I try to take what ever opportunity I can to be with them. Of course, this makes it more challenging to write and post my blogs during the summer so I apologize for the delay.
It was great to be able to attend a family reunion this summer. It had been six years since I made it to our annual family reunion. Not by choice but rather because of distance, schedules and other obligations. Being the youngest of eight children, it is often difficult to get us all together in one place. This year was no different.
Unfortunately, only six out of eight of us could be there. One of my brothers was unable to be there nor my sister, Joy, who passed away a year ago today. The reunion was lovely but there was a void not having her there. Her passing has reminded me that life is precious and we should cherish our time with loved ones.
If relationships are estranged, reach out to the other. You can not control how others respond or act but you can do your part. There is an old saying “Holding a grudge is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die.” So regardless of the situation, I would reach out having no expectations of the other person. If your attempt to mend the relationship is not received by the other, you can still find peace and healing. Letting go of bitterness and anger may be hard but it frees you to move on with your life.
Although my family has had its ups and downs, my sister’s illness and eventual passing brought our family closer together. We miss her tremendously. We were not all together for our reunion this year but, thankfully, all of my siblings and I were together in April 2012 for my niece’s wedding. It was a beautiful event. I will cherish the memories as it is the last time all eight of us were together.
My faith carries me through the difficult times. My belief is that our life on earth is not the end and our spirit can live eternally. So today, as I remember the one year anniversary of my sister’s death, I encourage you all to cherish your time with family, loved ones and friends. Life is precious.
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