To me, the Valley of Hope is a place that is far away from the place I call home right now. It is a place that houses most of the rest of my family. My sisters and I have become more connected than ever, due to face book and the Internet. We speak daily, or at least try. Over the past few weeks, we have become disconnected, due to a move that took place. My problem is figuring out where in the valley I can set up my tent and live out the rest of my life, happy and content.
Char is my baby sister and has had her life turned upside down by my niece. The day finally came. A wedding. A wonderful celebration. The two of them were off to shop. The quintessential trip for mom and daughter to try and buy the perfect wedding dress. Now this is normally a very happy occasion, and was this day as well, until the fact that Angie was trying on dresses for her wedding finally hit her. Trouble breathing. Overwhelmed. She was a little taken aback by the whole ordeal. Char, the great mom she is, calmed her and the fun continued. I was lucky enough to reach Char before they left and asked that she take pictures of all the dresses. I now have a folder in my email account that is Angie's dress choices. I guess living vicariously through my sister is as close to the real thing as I will get. The pictures are beautiful and she is going to be a gorgeous bride.
Down the road a mear three hours, is my other sister Debbie. She and her husband have left the metropolis of Vancouver to settle in the small Hamlet of Oliver. They closed their store in Vancouver, to open another in the small town of Penticton. I am hoping that the people of Penticton see the talent that Debbie has, like the patrons she had in Vancouver did. They sold their house and have bought a large plot of land with grape vines and an orchard, where they are planning on building a house and retiring at some time in the future. I am looking forward to seeing this place. If what they have built in the past is anything like what they have planned for this piece of land, it will be phenominal and gorgeous. I can't wait to see it.
My brother lives about half way between the both of them. He and his wife and two small boys live in the town of Westbank. Robin is an accountant and at this time is taking time off to care for the boys till they start school. Shawn is a truck driver, with a dedicated route between his home and Vancouver. That gives him time to spend with his family.
Now the problem is, where do I live? I live 2000 miles away in the middle of the states. No family to speak of in the area. My husband has two of his children living here, but none of my immediate family are anywhere close. I miss the craziness of my family and the fun that we have had over the years. I can remember things from my childhood, that would have driven others crazy and made them very upset, but in my family you deal with those things and go on. It is hard not having someone that you can run to with questions and problems. We have all been very close and have mostly remained that way. We drifted apart for a time, and we still are not that close with my brother right now, but that is mostly due to work and family constraints. All of us miss him dearly. Oh ya, and bull headedness runs deep in our family. We don't forgive easily.
My years are climbing and the things that used to mean so much, have diminished with time. The things that were so important are not anymore. Family and friends are now at the top of the list. I found that without those particular people, life does not mean much. If you have a rift between you and family, do whatever it takes to rid yourself of the rift. You cannot replace family no matter how hard you try. They may get under your skin. They may make you crazy, but there is no one like someone that is a part of you and your past. I love all of my family, but would not give up my brother and sisters for anything. They mean the world to me. I wish we were closer, but until we are, I will tell them at every chance just how much they mean to me. I love you and will forever and always.
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