An Adventure

Robyn is going to visit her cousin Vanessa and twins in Tacoma in the March break. Keenan and Keri are going too and Vanessa's brother Patrick who lives in Ottawa is going as well.

Vanessa lives in a lovely little two storey,blue and grey house a block from the Pacific Ocean.She's excited about her cousins coming.

Her mother and father, Mary and Stephen, have been already.Mary travelled with Vanessa when she took the twins home from Canada. Then Mary drove back across the continent with her girlhood friend to transport the wedding gifts.

Stephen went a few weeks ago because the twins are teething. James works extra hours and Vanessa takes care of a couple of other little ones as well to make ends meet.Now and then, she needs help. Her Dad, my son, was there for her.

Heather and Theresa and myself are planning an expedition timed to help bring the twins home to spend the summer at the cottage in Georgian Bay. The plan is for the twins to enjoy the same summer experience as their mother did , with her maternal grandparents.

Lizzie in Peterborough likes me to write in the personal blog. She says it's the only way she can keep up with family activities. Lizzie is a student at Trenton. Has an apartment. A job. A dog and a cat.

She doesn't have a car. Her parents would bring her home for the family gatherings if she would come.

The only time we see Lizzie is at Christmas.She didn't see the twins when they were here. Cheyenne and Abigail, Lindsay's children, hardly know her. Lindsay is Lizzie's cousin.

When I was leaving her parent's home on Christmas day she said;

"I know you're mad at me Grannie, because I don't come home to the gatherings. But I have to work to keep the debt down."

Lizzie is planning to spend another two years in College. She is finishing a degree which includes women's studies. She is planning to continue with a college course in journalism.She is not planning to come home any time soon.Meantime the years roll by.

I know Lizzie Buck better than she knows herself .

I explained to her, though I doubt it made a difference:

"I am not mad at you. I am just not going to allow you believe it makes no difference whether you are here or not. It does. The circle doesn't close when one person is missing "

The gatherings keep the links together. Talk and laughter and pleasure in each other's company and sometimes tears, are the glue that holds us together. It gives us the security of knowing we are each part of something more than ourselves.

You are not alone, Lizzie. You are part of something bigger.

When you need us, we'll be there.