As you may have noticed, the last week or two I have been pretty absent from my blog and social media. Part of it was due to illness as I keep getting the same sinus thing over and over. Yes, I probably should go to the doctor, but let’s face it, I am a big baby when it comes to doctors. The other part is something that is a little harder to express. Goodness knows I have tried several times to put my thoughts into a post. There are several drafts now that I just can’t seem to finish. So I am just going to write from the heart.

In the last few weeks, two people in my family passed away. I live about 500 miles away from my family, and I did not make it home. Even though I have not seen these family members in a few years, they will be missed. I felt like I should have been home for my other family members. I wanted to be supportive. It felt awful to hear my mother’s sadness in losing her sister and not being there to be able to comfort her. It is times like this that I really wish I lived closer to home.

I have lived away from everyone for about nine years now, and while I like it here (sometimes), I do miss everyone. I miss getting to see my nieces play sports. I miss being able to visit my family whenever I want. I sometimes feel like the odd one out because everyone else is still there, but I am not. However, that is life for many people these days. A lot of people don’t get to be surrounded by their family due to jobs, school, and other circumstances. In times like death, it is hard because it is a reminder of how short life really is.

While I may not be able to come home more than a few times a year for a visit, I want to make my visits count and spend as much time with my family as I can. I am thankful that I can call my mom and talk to family via Facebook. It helps. And even though I am not there, I want my family to always know that I love them and that they are still close to my heart.

If you are like me and live far from your parents or other family members, what do you do to make sure that you stay connected? As always, I love to hear from you!