Dear Mom, How are you? I am fine

Remember when I used to start letters like this You always encouraged me to be a little more interesting in my opening remarks. You stood by me and helped me as I wrote letters, school assignments, poems, essays, stories, and just stuff. I'm writing more again now, Mom. And today, I'm writing to you.

Three things about your family:

- We are all fine. Really. We've grown and bent and changed and are becoming who we are supposed to be. We went through some tough times, and I know more tough times will come. You were always proud of us, even in our darkest times, standing behind us, encouraging us and letting us lean on you, and hiding your tears when we stumbled. You were there to help us get up when you could. Sometimes, I see now, you had to give in, but you never gave up. Neither have we. You were proud then and you would be proud now. It's hard to realize that all of us are now older than Dad when he died, and so are most of your grandchildren. Your kids and your kids kids have found their way in the world. Your great grand-kids are on their way, testing the waters of life. The foundations you laid are holding strong for yet another generation. Thank you for the foundations, thank you for giving us the freedom to build our own structures, thank you for never turning your back.

- We stay in touch. We love each other, tease each other, laugh at each other, laugh at ourselves, we cry together, we hug each other lots now - even the boys. Sometimes the boys even hug each other. We get together when we can. Life gets in the way sometimes and for most of us, we don't see each other as often as we'd like. But when we can find the opportunity, we spend time together, in ones and twos and fours, and an occasional eight or twelve or an even rarer twenty-five. Thank you for teaching us, showing us, instilling in us this great love of family we all carry.

- We have reached out and stayed in touch with the cousins, too, on both sides of the family. We've had reunions, planned and unplanned. The electronic world has connected us to those far away, on the other side of the country and on the other side of the continent and on the other side of the world. We share stories and memories and try to fill in the blanks. We see the line of generations flowing back and we see the flow going forward. What some call coincidence led Sister 3 to Kay and Dinah, and Kay and Dinah led us to Eileen and Bobbi. I don't believe it was coincidence. Some of you 'over there' led us to each other. We will find and connect with more. Those elusive cousins of Dad's are still not found. We now they are there and they will come into our lives, I'm certain. The time is just not the right time. I spend time thinking about how this all fits, and wonder about the pieces of the puzzle we here now will never know. We share memories and find out the neatest things that have carried through generations, that have been carried from one little Alberta town to the entire world. Thank you for giving us each other and opening doors we didn't know existed.

I just wanted to tell you, Mom, but I'm sure you know. I feel you close sometimes. Thank you for never leaving us.

Love, Childy Dear