The Importance of Family

It's been forever since I last wrote anything! I've been so long without a computer and without the internet. But I'm back! I want to talk a little about the importance of a family, and a little about a very special lady.

Every year my family gets together for the long weekend in August and goes camping. We call our reunion the White Whoopee (because that was my great-grandmother's last name, not because we are racist). This year was it's 38th year! There were 64 of us there this year! It's always an awesome time, we really only see each other once a year, but this year was a little different.

My mom's aunt passed away just a few days before the reunion. I didn't know my auntie Carol all that well, but after spending the last few weeks hearing such great things about her, I wish I had. I'm looking forward to chatting with her when I join her in Heaven - because that is no doubt where she is.

She was 74 years old and up until a month ago was on a year-long missions trip in Africa. At 74! She became ill and ended up coming home early. It turns out the she had a lymphoma in her stomach which was quickly removed. She died about a week and a half after her surgery because of some complications.

She was so ready to go though. She was excited about dying, about going home. She was looking forward to being with her family that had already passed on and about being with God. She had doctors and nurses praying and singing hymns in the hospital with her. She was preaching the word of God until she could no longer speak. She was a woman of God, she lived every moment of her life for Him.

My family came together for her funeral and then spent the weekend together camping. This year's theme was "New Beginnings". We all had new beginnings with our faith by being shown her example. She gave her immediate family some peace because she wasn't sad. She helped to give them closure as she was dying and heading towards her own new beginning.

Everyone needs that. A family is so important, whether it's the family that you were born with or the one that you choose for yourself. We need to hold them close to our hearts. There is no one who can be there for you more than your family. They've always been there and always will be. You have a history with your family and you know each other better than anyone else could.

A family is all about the stories that are shared, the help that is offered and the love. No one with a loving family ever has to worry about not having someone to help out. They're always there for you as soon as you call. I want to make sure that as I grow older I don't lose touch with any of these people.