This past weekend was that time of year…the time of year for Lillian Campbell’s clan to gather, eat food and drink beer.  It was very bittersweet this year.  Lillian, my beloved grandmother, died this spring.  We all still gathered, though the numbers were regretfully low.  This will be the one time a year that we get together now, and about half my cousins showed up.  Those of us that made the trip traded stories of how the past year has been, watched the kids frolicking and remembered fondly all of the family reunions that were held on the farm.  The farm is now for sale…too soon gone for me.

I know that places and things are just that, and our memories we can take with us, but that doesn’t mean we want to let those places and things go.  I don’t know how I will drive past the old farm and not want to go up the driveway, walk in the always unlocked door and not see Grandma sitting there.  Its been almost 10 years since I lived in EC, but it seems like yesterday when I was so close I could visit whenever I wanted.  Which, quite honestly, wasn’t enough. 

Time slips away from us.  We tell ourselves about all the things we plan on doing, people we plan on visiting and making it a priority to stay connected…to make sure they know how much they matter to us.  Life goes too fast…we barely have time to remember to do those things, much less actually DO them.

I was thinking this week about how much I will miss my cute little munchkins when they go to college, move away, get married…I hope they make time for us.  I don’t want to let them go.

Unless, of course, they are screaming in my ear for cheese, yogurt or a movie.  At that moment, it actually doesn’t seem like a bad thing.