Thursday, June 12, 2008

Family rocks

I love living close to my family. If and when Erich and I ever have to move away, I will miss being able to drop in on my parents any time. They're always good for a free meal, some time with the dog, hanging out in their nice house with the great backyard.

My mom always does nice things for me. I once complained about not getting enough exercise, and now she drives herself and the dog to my house two mornings a week and we walk together. Since Erich and I are still setting up our domicile, I'll occasionally need the use of her large vehicle to pick up furniture at Ikea. Just a few days ago, she went with me to buy a bed! When Erich's out of town, I can almost always count on her to keep me company and feed me.

I could drop in almost any time unannounced and demand food, and she'd probably cook for me. I wouldn't even have to ask.

But I do anyway. If I'm going to show up at her house, I let her know ahead of time. If I need to ask a favor of her, I politely ask. If I need a shopping buddy, I find out if she's free. My mother is extremely generous, but she has a life. And even though she is almost always available to me in whatever I might ask of her, I have a feeling she does things for me with a much happier heart because I try my best not to take her for granted.

I love that our family is so close and we can count on each other. But it is amazing how far these four little words can go to keep our spirits up: "Would it be okay...?"

2 comments:

Tim said...

It's the glue that keeps us together. Just like always saying 'please' and 'dadu.'

Cheryl said...

You do have a great family--one of the coolest I know. Phil and I both had less than ideal childhoods--I mean way less than ideal--and we hope that with our own kids we are charting a new path, one that they will follow and that will get passed on to their own children. Families like yours are models for us, and I often think how blessed your parents are to have their children nearby (you even sing in the same choir!) and how cool it is that their home is a place you all like to be.