Bittersweet

Cherish every moment. You never know when it will be the last time you will see someone.

I just returned from a 3 day trip to Pennsylvania where I attended my uncle’s memorial service. It was a bittersweet trip. I have always loved Pennsylvania, a truly beautiful state, but such a sad occasion.

As I drove through the rolling hills and mountains, a flood of memories came rushing back from my childhood. I spent 2 weeks every summer for 4 or 5 years as a young teenager, visiting my grandmothers and other relatives. All of my aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents lived in Pennsylvania.

My paternal grandmother Joy, lived on a 10 acre piece of property surrounded by her lovely flowers. She had raised 7 kids in that small house that my grandfather built. Oh how I loved those visits. As time marches on and many of those people I went to visit are no longer alive, I’m so grateful for the memories that live on.

I was very moved to hear all of my uncles 4 children speak about him at the dinner following the service. The love that was exhibited throughout their lifetime was clearly displayed through their words. A common thread that I heard over and over was my uncle Jim’s welcoming nature to others. He loved people and never met a stranger. He was an educator, a teacher, principal and superintendent.  He touched the lives of thousands of students throughout his career in several different states.

As I listened to the stories, it motivated me to emulate some of what I heard. I want to be a better listener and a better friend. There is great value in being able to be a good sounding board to someone who is simply searching for a caring friend.

As we spent almost every minute of everyday visiting relatives there wasn’t much time for sightseeing but we did squeeze in a little side trip to Punxsutawney to visit the famous groundhog Phil. He lives in a burrow at the library and you can visit him and read all about the legend of his weather prediction every February 2! So I have now visited Punxsutawney Phil and can cross it off my bucket list!

My Mom grew up in a little mining town called Helvetia. It’s very sad to drive through it now. It has been strip mined and only the general store and one church remain. The entire town has been torn down. Once again, I’m grateful for the memories where I can envision the quaint little town nestled in the rolling hills where my Mom grew up.

It was a lot of driving in a few short days, a whirlwind trip for sure. I came home with a renewed love for my extended family and I learned so much more from my dear parents as we drove in the car, about how truly different life was for them growing up. My dad told me how he and his friend would hitchhike the 3 miles to town on Saturday nights to go to the movies. He said a movie would have one episode and if you wanted to see the rest of it you would have to come the following week to continue! Then he said they would go get hot dogs, 5 for a dollar! They each got 5!!!! Wow. Stories like this made the miles fly by. We need to cherish each day and all that it brings. One day will be our last and the legacy we leave behind will continue to speak of what we placed our value in.