This was not the original plan for the weekend. It was Mom's Weekend for my sorority and I was SO excited to have my mom and aunt come in and spend the weekend with me. We had dinner, shopping, and many other things planned to fill the weekend, and I was counting down the days. On Wednesday night, I was sitting in night class when I checked my phone and had seven missed calls and two voicemails. I knew something had to be going on....
When I listened to the voicemails, I was given the news. My uncle was about to have a quadruple bypass surgery. My mom and aunt were not longer coming to Fort Worth, which was clearly the right choice. Yes, it was disappointing to miss out on the fun weekend, but family is top priority. I knew what I needed to; I quickly booked my flight and headed home Friday morning.
The weekend was spent sitting in the lonely halls of the hospital, waiting for news, and comforting family members. We almost lost my uncle twice this weekend, and it was a huge wake up call for all of us. It became so apparent that life is so short, and we should never take advantage of our time here. We all realized that we must set aside out differences and come together as one; after all, we are family.
While we wandered the halls of the hospital for hours on end, my mom, aunt, and I made up for lost time. We reminisced on old memories, and truly tried making the best of the situation. As sad as it was to see the family hurting in a time when many things were uncertain, we came together as a family and bonded over lost time, and we created a weekend that we won't forget for many years. In fact, there was contagious laughter that rang through the hospital, joking and teasing, crying and laughing over stories we had never heard before. I tend to be one to hold in my emotions, but this weekend... I laughed, I cried, and I had an absolutely wonderful time with my family.
It's unfortunate that a situation like this is what it took to get the whole family together, but it brought us together, making us closer than we have ever been before. I am so excited to hear that my uncle will be able to go home tomorrow, and spend time in his own house finally!
While I was home, I spent time looking at old pictures, and realizing that our time here is limited; this trip redefined my view on life and the opportunities I need to take advantage of, and the wrongs I must forgive. I came across many pictures of laughter and happiness; it was great to see the love back in action this weekend.
Just as it is said, laughter is the best medicine. I truly believe the family bonding, the laughter, and the love that filled my uncle's hospital room improved the morale and made everyone realize what was truly important.
While I was reminiscing on old times, I came across this great picture of my loving parents from my Dad's graduation and achievement of his PhD. I am so proud to have him as my dad; although we may not always see eye to eye, I shared an amazing time of laughter and happiness with him this weekend...meant the absolute world to me.
amanda
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