When you've been away from something long enough, the first thing you notice are things about it that you had grown accustomed to before. I notice that it's more humid here. A lot more humid than Vermont. And with that humidity comes the constant sticky-sweet smell of green. After driving slowly on nothing but snow-covered back roads and treacherous winding curves, I find I have a hard time keeping up with the Dallas freeway traffic. I drove in the right hand lane almost all the way home last night.
I hadn't seen most of my family in quite a few years, and even then, it was very abbreviated. This was the first time in my real adulthood that I actually spent any length of time with any of them. A lot of things have changed. I found it more than shocking to realize that my relatives were real people with real problems, real worries, and real heartaches. They aren't the portraits of super-heros I'd painted of them in my head. Somehow, that made me love them more and respect them more and appreciate their troubles and the fortunes I've seen.
We spent most of our time with my mother's (step-mother's) family. Her sister, about 45 years old or so, is going through some sort of mid-life crisis. For the past month or so, she's been going out drinking with friends on a more-than-weekly basis, and, with seemingly no concern for her children or her marriage, she's kicked her husband out of the house for the time being. It's really a big mess and all relates, more than anything, to her selfishness.
My mom's brother is divorced with 3 kids, one of which recently joined the Army. His ex-wife has been diagnosed with bi-polar and it's incredibly difficult on their children, especially the younger two. During my vacation, she called her sons to tell them that she was getting married (which wasn't true) and that she wouldn't be able to see them again until Jesus told her it was okay to do so. A few days later, a good friend of their family called concerned about the well being of their mother and, within a day she was admitted to a hospital. They don't know exactly what happened but, most likely, she either wasn't taking her medication, or was taking too much.
My mom (biological) was as odd as ever and, again, I am very grateful to have not been raised by her. I'm not sure if her divorce from my father brought this on, or if she's always been this way, but she's almost impossible to be around for more than a few hours. She can't have always been this way, or I don't think my father would have married her. I allocated one day of my trip to spend with her and that side of the family. Despite the fact that I hadn't seen her in a couple of years, the only thing she could find to do was go shopping for things I, later, found out she already had. Her family (well, her sister and her mother, anyway) have this intense infatuation with my cousin (her sister's first son). He's fairly wealthy and does very well for himself in New York city. Just about every conversation we had fell back to him in one way or another. I have never spent enough time with them to understand why this fascination exists.
I could go on and on about my family, and their troubles, and the way seeing them made me feel, but, at least now, it wouldn't serve much of a purpose.
Vermont is beautiful. I love every last inch of it in a way that makes me long for a simpler, more pure life in the country somewhere. Vermont, especially, is just hippie enough, just technical enough, and just redneck enough to really entice me. I talked to my Uncle at great lengths about the possibilities of living there and what kind of life I could make there for Jess and myself.
My cats were well taken care of while I was away. Uncle Rob and his wife did a wonderful job and I am very grateful for their kindness. He even took out the trash full of kitty poop so the place wouldn't stink when we got home.
I've got quite a bit of unpacking to do, a few friends to see, groceries to buy, and a tomorrow's work day to prepare for.
But, before I go, I'd like to share with you a Christmas Greeting Jess and I received on our answering machine from two of our dearest friends and their beautiful two year old daughter.
