The Circle

Memorial Weekend 2009 was the Simpson Family Reunion. My two daughters and their families came and we all stayed at my parents home on Sam Rayburn. My dad is almost 83 and he takes care of my mother and most all the everyday concerns of keeping up a home and property. My mother turned 79 on December 18, 2008. She is still beautiful. Her hair is silver and her eyes are still an unusual light blue ... sometimes they sparkle like they use to when I was a child ... but much too often, she doesn't really remember who she is ... are where she is. If she sleeps during the day, she thinks it is a new morning (maybe that is not all bad) ... at least that is one way of getting two days out of one! Our family loves to eat and talk and we all love children. Seven of my precious grandchildren, who attended the reuion, hunted lizards, ran with the their distant cousins, laughing over everything, beating a pinata till the candy fell out ... my precious Emma even managed to head-lock an unruly older male second-cousin at the pure delight of her mother's only 1st female cousin ... Angie is still laughing about that.

I've always loved to climb in bed with my parents and visit. As a child, they said I would lay between them and listen to radio programs with them till I feel asleep. Then daddy would put me in my bed ... my bed was a dresser drawer until I outgrew it. So Saturday night with my husband asleep in our bed, my adult children in their beds, my seven grandchildren sleeping scattered on padlets across the living room floor along side of Scratch, (my parent's hugh chow-lab mixed dog) ... I crawled in bed with mother and daddy. Daddy turned on his left side and was asleep in all of 5 minutes. Mother and I talked a bit about the day. She was very content, then she drew close to me and laid her head on my shoulder, I wrapped my arms around her and she went to sleep. So many times ... I remember my mother holding me in her arms just as I now held her. When I knew she was soundly asleep, I kissed them both goodnight, neither one moved ... I crawled from their bed and gently closed the door. Everyone was asleep ... In the living room, I looked over my sweet babies with that lion of a dog semingly keeping each one safe, and I felt that peace that I was taught about as a child ... the peace that passes all understanding. Life is good.