Rosemary Watson & Family

So many things are happening at once in my life, that I feel like I'm living in that house Dorothy traveled in to Oz. I closed my eyes and woke up in September. How did that happen? A lot of my life is lived like this, all the important things happening so fast that I barely have time to appreciate them before something else comes along that needs my attention. All the babies, and marriages, and graduations keep coming and coming to the point where I forget just how many kids and brothers and sisters and cousins I have now. Sometimes I wish things would just slow down so I can at least give everyone a big kiss.

Last night however, I was given a golden opportunity to do just that. My dad has an Aunt & Uncle who live here in Mesa who he was going to go visit, and he invited me to come along. My cousin Mindy, who is their granddaughter, had emailed me a while back and had asked if I ever had time, if I could go and take some pictures of her grandparents. I said, "Of course, I'd love to go" and got in the car with my dad to visit his beloved Uncle Harry & Aunt Delt.

I had only met these two a handful of times, but I do remember being a little girl and going to their house up in the white mountains to visit. I must have been under 10 years old, but I do remember Aunt Delt's smile, and Uncle Harry's laugh. I also remember my dad's stories of how Uncle Harry had gotten struck by lighting 10 times or so, and other funny things about him.
When we got to the house, we were greeted by their sweet nurse Marsha, who presented us to Delta & Harry. They looked just like I remember them. Aunt Delt with her chestnut hair and beautiful smile, and Uncle Harry with his laugh and fiery disposition. All my memories came flooding back, and we spent the rest of the afternoon reminiscing and looking at a big photo album one of their granddaughters had made. There were so many pictures of them in there, just about my age. Aunt Delt was gorgeous. Like really really gorgeous and young chasing 2 little girls around. And there were pictures of handsome Uncle Harry and my dad's grandfather Poppa, his dad Paul Jr., and my Uncle Paul III. There was pictures of his cousin Joanne, who looked just like her grandson Kai. There was even pictures of my dad and his mother Rosemary. It almost took my breath away how much it reminded me of me & my own little boy, who is the spitting image of my father. The time finally came however, to go home, so with a hug and a kiss, we told Uncle Harry & Aunt Delt goodbye, with tears in both our eyes.

The weight of the evening didn't really hit me until we were driving home. My dad played his music, as I tried to choke back a flood of tears. As we drove west on the freeway, I looked at the sunset barley glaring in the sky, almost letting the twilight take it over. It seemed a perfect metaphor for life. Every now & then, we need to stop and take a look around us and appreciate the moments we are given on this earth; for they are, like the day, over so quickly. Don't get so caught up in the day, that you forget to appreciate the sunset.

Aren't they just lovely?