Tears, and Joy

OK, this is a bit of a sad time for me.

My folks, who come up every summer from Arizona, are getting ready to go home.
They stay over at my business property, so while they are here I am over there almost every day to hang out. We get a lot of work done, and just hang out and have time together.
We go to garage sales every Friday and Saturday, and not only enjoy the bargains we find, but love the time with other people.
We work together on the store, both moving things around, and brainstorming on new ideas. Mom finds more places to put all the things i buy. (out of necessity, and because she is a highly energetic person and keeps herself busy with whatever needs to be done). Dad helps where he can, not being as active as Mom any more.

Every summer they come our time together gets sweeter and sweeter. We become closer, and share our hearts more with each other. We laugh more, and cry more.

So, you can probably imagine, that every year their leaving becomes harder. That day is here.

So, the tears.
I will miss having Mom and Dad's hugs each morning when I go over. I will miss their presence at garage sales, and my Dad singing to whoever will listen. (and some who don't but he sings anyway because he loves to sing). I will miss Wednesday night dinners at church with them. I will miss working with my Mom. We laugh to tears sometimes at the way things go (like assembling shelves and it doesn't go right). Times when, by myself, I might become frustrated. As a matter of fact, we laugh a lot!! I know we will both miss that! And the work always seems to go faster when you have a 'friend' to do it with.

Hmmm. I just thought. I bet they will miss all that too. My Mom will miss having someone to work with, and someone who makes her laugh, and a friend to talk to. My Dad will still sing. (They have lots of jams where they live,) but he will miss his 'paper girl' bringing him the paper each morning. And they will miss their 'chauffeur'.

OK, all that to say, yes, I'm crying now, and I will miss them so much wehn they go.

The good side is:
I have had all summer with them! I am grateful for and cherish that!
We have had more family gatherings because they were here.
I know now to just let myself feel sad they are leaving instead of busying myself so I don't think about it.
I see my husband, who tenderly held me this morning and asked if he should take this afternoon off to be with me.
And I have a Lord, who I know holds us all in the hollow of His hand, and is with us each day, wherever we go.

WOW! I guess sometimes it takes the sad things to really see how much we have , and to truly appreciate and cherish our loved ones.

Blessings and Love to all my friends and family.