Holiday Road - Part 4

I have to confess something. I’m ready for the Holiday Road to come to an end. When I started blogging my journey, I was filled with a rush of emotions. Sitting on the edge of my seat, filled to the brim with new-found wisdom that I couldn’t wait to share. Four weeks later, it’s bringing me down and I’m ready for some good belly laughs! Aren’t you?! So the journey ends here folks….

After a poem-filled, event-filled trip to North Carolina, we decided to brave the trip back home. We left that following Monday evening arriving back home at 6:00 a.m. on Tuesday morning. Exhausted, I unpacked our bags and washed clothes only to pack them back up on Friday for another road trip…thankfully a much shorter road trip.

A two hour drive south, we were invading my parents home for the weekend so I could attend a bridal shower for my sister. My sister, head over heels in love, anxiously anticipating the “big day” and blushing at the sound of her fiance’s name…ohhh, the days of “young love”. The excitement of the unknown…the excitement of starting your lives together…the dreams of starting a family together. It’s the time in life where you don’t let anything else interfere with your love and attention for each other and you swear you never will. You’re consumed with him and him with you. The shower was beautiful and so was the bride-to-be. It was very refreshing to see the bliss in her eyes.

The next day, I had to brave the most difficult trip yet. Before we left for home, I took the boys to visit my grandmother who has been placed in a nursing home. My grandmother, when “present”, asks about her great-grandchildren constantly. The last time I saw her, I barely recognized her. This time, I would have been for certain it wasn’t my grandmother if it weren’t for my grandfather sitting by her side. Unfortunately, she didn’t recognize me or the boys that day. She didn’t even recognize my grandfather. Matter of fact, she asked my grandfather where her husband was.

My grandfather, who still lives in their home, is there when she wakes in the morning until she falls to sleep at night. Everyday, he is there by her side whether she knows it or not. Many nights he is there past midnight. If you have ever seen “The Notebook”, I have witnessed it in real life. My grandfather, who will turn 90 in September, has been head over heels in love with my grandmother since the day they met. As stubborn as she is, he has lived his life to please her. My heart breaking, his eyes full of tears – for him and for her.

She is a woman who I found it hard to connect with, yet I had so much in common with. A lady who refused to let go of the bottle (and I mean the hair dye bottle) until she could no longer raise her hands above her head. A woman who always had an excuse to host a tea party and loved to use her china. Diamond was her best friend and clothes her closest acquaintance. A mother of three boys.

As we drove back home, I contemplated the circle of marriage. Seeing my sister and her fiancé about to start their journey and seeing my grandparents about to end their journey. It made me look at my husband in a whole new light. The man I love more than anything in this world. The sexiest, smartest, strongest man I know. The man who puts up with more attitude from me than he deserves…I never want a day to go by that he doesn’t know how much I love him. We’ve been married for six years and it’s easy to let “life” get in the way. It’s easy to go another day without any quiet time with each other because we’re both exhausted. It’s easy to give all my energized attention to the kids because they demand it. I want to be there by his side when he wakes up and by his side when he falls asleep, giving him all the attention he deserves. Don’t let me take one day together for granted. I want to love him with all I have. I want him to know that I’m loving him with all that I have.

Whew! I’m emotionally drained and glad this road has come to an end. I could barely finish this entry and to be honest, I didn’t want to. Let’s sum up Holiday Road and get back to our regularly scheduled program:

ONE: Long road trips are CRAZY, CRAZY, CRAZY!
TWO: Written by your children, what will your Bio Poem say?
THREE: Written by your friends and acquaintances, what would a poem about your life say?
FOUR: Do you take your spouse and marriage for granted?