My time here in Indiana with my sister, Jacq, is coming to an end. We are both feeling a little sad. It will be a year, or at least fifty weeks, until we are together again. We keep in touch daily through e-mails and we chat on the phone every week or so. The time actually being together is the best. We talk and laugh, reminisce, share stories from the recent past that were too involved for e-mail or phone, lament some of the things that are currently happening, and generally just enjoy being with each other.
Distancing myself from the usual routine of my life has been a good thing. No meetings, no time tables, no deadlines, no responisibilities, no pressure. Time for knitting and reading and crossword puzzles. A few days of this and I begin to relax. Jacq and I cook family favorites and try out new recipes and, of course, keep up with the abundant garden produce. And walk. We have walked almost every day, on the picturesque walk along the Ohio River or through some of the residential neighborhoods of Madison.
Oh, and in addition there's my new buddy, Kitty. The family here calls her Peanut but she doesn't answer to that. She answers to 'Kitty' and she greets me with a meow first thing every morning and hangs around where I am most of the day -- nosing into my face as I read, grabbing at my knitting yarns, nuzzling my fingers as I try to type on the computer keys. I am NOT a cat person but Kitty has definitely warmed her way into my heart -- she crept up onto the foot of my bed last night and kept my feet warm.
Has the distance and time diminished my intense sense of involvement in home and family and church and work? Not at all. Have I gained some great sense of perspective or insight into the controversial issues? Not at all. Am I renewed? Yes. Am I less anxious? Yes. Am I ready to return and delve into the complexities of my life? Yes. Sisters are the best!
No comments:
Post a Comment