Family

What happens to a family when the one that held it together passes away? It seems that it just falls apart. Where once there were many people gathered around a dining table, now there are only a few. Once there was a lot of laughter and ballgames on tv, birthday parties and big dinners. Now there are nothing of the sort. No one visits any more. No one calls or writes. Where once there was a family with six siblings, now everyone is a solitary being, living only for themselves and the family they've raised for themselves. They have no time to even think about the siblings they've left behind.

There was a time when Sunday was the happiest, liviest day of the week. It meant that all the kids would be coming to Mama's house.I can see Mama now, sitting in her rocker in front of the television waiting for the Atlanta Braves to begin their game of the week. A little after one, her kids begin to come through the front door. Usually, some are there early, say eleven o'clock and some will stay for as long as seven or eight at night. No one minds though because there is so much love in the family that everybody could stay together forever and not mind it at all.

But, there always comes a time when all happiness ends, when something so great happens that everything falls apart. That's exactly what happened in October of 1996. The matriarch of our family had a stroke and went into a coma for about two weeks. All the siblings were there everyday keeping watch over the progress of their Mama. Finally Mama got better and came home. She had to be re-taught have to move, eat, and talk. She was bedridden but not unable to learn. There was talk that she'd never be anything but a vegetable but through a steady stream of talking and exercising her limbs, she began to talk and move her body. The movements came slowly but she did re-learn to talk and move her arms and legs.

Now, it's as though there is nothing between the siblings that were once so close and had such fun times. Now, no one visits or calls or anything else. The one that taught the movements to the Mama is treated as a total stranger with no connection with her siblings. How does this happen?

One has to take it upon themself to try and patch the gap that has developed over the years. It is a long, tedious journey trying to reach people you love but cannot converse with or see. You try everything you know and pray that they will come again into your life. A life that was once so full of laughter and joy and now is just a life of longing. Longing to see the faces of the ones that used to come sometimes 2-3 times a week and called often, who now are as silent as death itself.
It's a hard thing to do to try and talk with people that just really couldn't care less, but praise God, success comes!!!! It was time consuming thinking of ways to get some action going. Once started though, it began the snowball effect. Now there is a little communication between the one left behind and one of her siblings. She did get one email from another one but that was it. The one she's talking to now is very faithful at sending emails, at least 1 a day, some times more. She'll also send pictures of herself and her granddaughters to the sister that was forgotten. They talk about things from long ago and reminisce about all kinds of things. It's as though they've never been separated.
There is visits to another sister, she also was discarded by the siblings but for a different reason altogether. Funny thing though, this sister was forgiven quite a long while before the other, by one of the siblings at least. It's an odd feeling having a family but never seeing them, or visiting together or doing any of the things that families do.

But like I said earlier,the forgotten sister has one of her siblings emailing her, so, where there is a little headway made, there is room for a great deal more. Strong faith can move mountains and hope is never far behind. Those that wait patiently and keep on trusting the Lord Jesus will be rewarded. I think part of this sister's reward has been contained in an email from her sibling.

That sister has made this sister very, very happy. Thank you Lord Jesus!!..................