How Times Change

Today was my Uncle Tom’s $%th birthday and it was so different this year that it really made me think.  My Aunt has been in the hospital now for three weeks, going in with a stroke and now finding an aortic aneurysm.  My Dad was working in Hornell and Derek was at a CTRC meeting.  Ariella was there and everyone had a blast playing with her and watching all her antics.  But it felt so empty compared to how things used to be.

What really got me thinking was the song that was playing on the way home, ‘Kyrie Eleison’ by Mister Mister.  I remember way back when in 1986 when this song came out.  We were living in Saratoga Springs at the time and my Dad would find these songs that he thought were the coolest thing and buy the cd (which were new at the time and novel in themselves).  Then he would blast them on our home stereo, over and over.  This was one of those songs.

So I started thinking about how things were when I was growing up.  Even though we lived 6 hours away (speed limit was still 55 then on the NYS Thruway) our WHOLE family would come up to see us at least 6 or more times a year.  For birthdays, Holidays and just random visits to see us.  That would be my Grandmother and Aunt Fran, Gramma and Uncle Tom, Aunt Anne, Uncle Jim and then Henry with them, and of course Nick.  Our neighbors, Ted and Arlene Greve and their two kids would also join us for everything we did with our family as well.  All in all it was always 15 or more people in our house eating, drinking, telling stories, talking about life and always laughing, laughing, laughing!  I have such great memories of my time there growing up.

Things are so different now, with my Grandmother passed on, and everyone getting older.  The stories are even different, with many telling of aches and pains instead of the frivolities of yesterday.  I would like to say it’s sad, but I know this is how it goes.  That song just made me remember how important my family has always been to me, and how many good – no great – times we have had together over the years.  I guess they all just mean so much to me, it is hard to believe we are older and not where we used to be.

I owe them all so much, for all the love they gave and continue to give to me, and my family as it grows.  It will be so hard to say goodbye when the time comes, I can’t imagine life without any of them…….