What time is it anyway?? in A New Beginning

I haven’t written in such a long time, it seems!! I was doing really well, too, until I took a break and then forgot to start up again! I think what happened was, two weekends ago we had company. Carrie and Max were here! And we were very busy, of course, trying to fit as much into a fairly small amount of time as possible. One day “the family” came over....which for us only consists of my two sisters, my niece, Joey and his Stephanie. The next day we went to Rehoboth, the big ocean beach. Joe and I, Carrie and Max all went down together in the morning and stayed ‘til mid-afternoon. But on our drive back home, Carrie said, “Would you guys mind if Max and I come right back down?” Aww! I guess it would’ve made sense to take two cars in the morning, because it’s about a 40-minute drive! But Carrie and Max are young and energetic; they went right back to the beach and stayed and had fun ‘til after dark!

One day we went to the state fair. Carrie loves that more than anyone ever has, I’m sure, mostly just because of the animals. She would pet and love on every cow if she could! And their last day, Max surprised Carrie and me by saying he was tired and not wanting to go to the beach or the waterpark! I would’ve been content to stay home too, but darn if Carrie didn’t decide we should go to a movie, clear down at the beach, so a rather longish drive! And we got home just in time to turn around and go out to dinner at the Chinese Buffet with Joe!

They were going to head home on Wednesday morning, but instead headed home AFTER we all got back from dinner on Tuesday night. That’s that energetic youth thing again! Carrie doesn’t enjoy looooong drives like we do, and it is eleven hours fom her place in Michigan to ours. She wanted to drive 4 or 5 hours and then the rest of the way the next day. She admitted that she was worried about her Lab, Rigby. Her husband Al was home, but he has long work days and so Rigby was having long days alone. I told her I understood perfectly, because I do! I worry about Guinness like that too. And by Tuesday night, this not-so-young-or-energetic person was tired and did not mind returning to peace and quiet, even though I did love having the kids here.

Sooooo.....movies....the one Carrie and Max and I saw was “Leave no Trace,” rated PG. I know Max found it boring. It was about a war veteran who, years after the war, still suffered PTSD and was raising his young teenage daughter in the wilderness of the NW Pacific rain forest. No one knew they were there. But one day a logger or forester spotted the girl and the next thing, police came with tracking dogs and found them. They were taken and told they couldn’t live there because it was public land; they were given a social case worker and a place to stay in “civilization,” and a job with a foresting company) for him. His daughter, around 15 I think, actually LIKED the new ways she was suddenly learning, and being around people. But he couldn’t cope with it, and in the middle of the night one night, woke her and told her to pack her bag because they were leaving.

And so it went on, with them staying somewhere and her really liking it but him wanting to move on back to the forest. At one point she told him, “Dad. What’s wrong with you is not wrong with me.” He said “I know.” But he apparently couldn’t change for her, so one day, finally, she just told him he could go on without her. It was emotional, but also I expect most people watching were glad that she finally spoke up for herself and did what SHE needed to do.

Then this past weekend we sisters and my niece watched “If You Could only Imagine” over at Carol-and-Stef’s. It was about this country/Christian group, Mercy Me, and the lead singer who wrote the hit song of that name. It was the story of his life and relationship with his Dad, that inspired the song.....mostly about how his Dad changed from a mean hateful abusive man to a good-hearted man in his old age, and the son was able to forgive him for all the abuse he’d suffered during his childhood. Forgiving is a very good thing. I don’t think my sister Carol has ever forgiven our Dad. Sandy has, I think. I just love them....both our parents. They were better parents to me than they were many years earlier, with my older sisters. People CAN change, over time, or circumstances can change them. I do believe the things my sisters say our parents did when they were kids. And I just kinda marvel, “How the hell could they have even thought it was alright to do that????” I honestly DO NOT KNOW. But I have done things that were not good also. And I hope that I am forgiven. I even hope that much of it has been forgotten! Don’t we all hope that, about the bad things we’ve done? When I get to heaven and see our parents, I am just going to love them like always.

Now, this coming Saturday we (sisters and niece) are going to see a FUN movie!!!!! I am ready for that kind for a change!! We’re going to see “Christopher Robin”!! Or maybe it’s “Goodbye Christopher Robin.” I’ve watched the trailers and it looks so cute! I am really looking forward to it!!