Jan 2: The Calm

Izzy, Evelyn, and Eleanor watch a tornado.

I had family with me for the past few days. That can be a scary concept, but there's something about niece Kristy, husband Hector, and kids Evelyn, Eleanor, and Izzy that seems to work.

Seriously, five days with the same family test people, but we survived as well as when we visited them back in August in North Carolina.

They left today. As usual, I was saddened. I suck at goodbye's. They stay with me.

You see, I know time flies. Those kids won't be kids forever. Hell, their mother grew up, and she and her sisters were like little sisters to me.

Plus Roxy (America's Dog) is getting older, and there are few dogs - hell, few animals - I enjoy being around so much.

My inner psychiatrist would say that it's probably a fear of loss that makes me struggle with saying goodbye. Yeah, that's fair, but it's more. It's also that there was life with everyone around. Hector and I watched football together. I enjoy talking to Kristy, as we're both parents now of course. And the kids. Man, kids are great.

It also meant Sean came back to me in a week that he would have normally not.

Conversely it meant that I had to bow out of going to Long Island to start 2015 (or end 2014).

We had to compromise for the week and make sleeping arrangements. We made it work.

They're gone now, and I'm stretched out watching Modern Family.

Reality has returned.