A Visit From the Parental Units

A Visit From the Parental Units

My mom and dad are visiting us in Virginia this weekend. When I was younger I didn’t truly appreciate how fortunate I am to have such delightful parents. They live in Indiana and it is a 10½-hour drive.  While they take their time and switch drivers every few hours, I know it is a grueling trip for them.  It is a long and tiring drive for me!

So I recognize the time and effort they take to make the journey and appreciate every second we are able to spend together. These days they prefer to stay in a motel. My mom is allergic to our feline friends. They both enjoy being able to spend some down time alone when they get tired.

Whenever they come our way, they are up for any adventure. Friday evening we visited with some adult beverages on the back porch, grilled sliders, and all talked at the same time.  Yesterday we had a casual morning and gathered around the kitchen counter - laughingly eating the broken pieces from a batch of pecan bars that I mangled removing from the pan, enjoyed BLTs made from our home grown tomatoes, and spent the afternoon and early evening visiting with some friends that joined us for smoked pig, appetizers and more adult beverages.

Today I accompanied them to church. My lovely husband ventured ahead to the Village Bistro on the Winchester Walking Mall and nabbed us a table on the patio. We then spent the afternoon introducing them to some of our favorite nearby Virginia   wineries in the rolling hills of Fauquier County. We enjoyed a wonderful day.

But tomorrow they head back to Indiana. And I always experience just a little bit of melancholy when they leave, thinking about the 10 ½ hours that separate us. But I am grateful for the time we are able to spend together and know because of the time we spend apart, the times we are together is somehow better. I don’t take them for granted. And when we spend time together, we are mindful of the blessing.