As the sun started to rise on Wednesday morning, Aaron ask me if I knew it was snowing. Snowing? Yeah right. (We're in Texas mind you.) But it WAS snowing and for a good hour or so. Most of it didn't stick, but I got out the jackets, mittens, and other winter gear just in time to get Rai out while there was still some white on the ground.
Rai didn't understand the appeal in throwing snow at one another. Maybe next year...
But it's nothing compared to winter in Japan! Here's me just a bit older than Rai is now:
We spent the rest of the inside and got a few good laughs in as we caught the cats trying to stay warm, too! Yes, that's Kobe sleeping on Rai during his nap. :-) Rai has really taken a liking to Kobe. It's probably because Kobe will generally sit still long enough for Rai's hugs and kisses.
My grandfather was the type of man who loved children, even those he didn't know. In the morning, he would go to the bank and get a roll of quarters that he would hand out to children at restaurants or any public place. He could start a conversation with anyone and always had a smile on his face.
As a major tom boy, I always looked forward to visiting my grandfather and partaking in woodworking projects, fishing, anything that involved spending time with him. I grew up looking forward to deer hunting season when my grandfather, my dad, and I (and sometimes a cousin or friend) would spend a weekend sitting up against a tree, eating, and listening to my grandfather's stories with a 300 savage just in case we saw a deer. (We rarely saw a deer, and it didn't seem to bother anyone.)
Almost 15 years ago, my grandfather passed away suddenly just two weeks after my grandmother's passing. Words can't express how May 1995 changed my life and the life of my family's forever. Years later, in an attempt to heal the wounds and accept one of the greatest losses in our lives, we started placing quarters at my grandparents' gravesite.
This past weekend, we took Rai to my grandparents' gravesite to mount a repaired vase as well as to continue our family tradition. I know Rai doesn't understand everything, but he understands more than I generally expect. I told him that this was Mommy's Grandpa and Grandma, and we said "Hi" to the tombstones. (Rai also said "Hi" to the little deer near my grandfather's tombstone.) Still a bit sleepy from the drive, Rai placed the quarters down on each side and stood there with me for a second. It's a moment I'll remember forever. My grandfather would have loved to meet Rai.
“Death is a part of all our lives. Whether we like it or not, it is bound to happen. Instead of avoiding thinking about it, it is better to understand its meaning. We all have the same body, the same human flesh, and therefore we will all die. There is a big difference, of course, between natural death and accidental death, but basically death will come sooner or later. If from the beginning your attitude is 'Yes, death is part of our lives,' then it may be easier to face.” - Dalai Lama
(Note: I really did start this before Thanksgiving.)
There is so much to be thankful for this year that it is hard to find a place to start this post.
I am thankful for our son whose smile makes my day and whose "umm, ummmm, ummmm" at Thanksgiving dinner is the best compliment a Mommy can ask for
I am thankful for a husband who has been a wonderful friend and has become a wonderful daddy
I am thankful for family and holidays which give us an excuse to come together
I am thankful for the memories of those who are no longer with us but have shaped our lives My grandfather, Gordon Burnside, who was and still is my idol Can you guess which one is me? My Ojiichan (grandfather on my mother's side) My Aunt Sandy who passed away one day before Rai was born. We were very close, and I would do anything to have just one more holiday with her. She would have loved Rai...
I am thankful for our furry family members who have adapted well to our newest addition and always make us laugh Kobe and Hello Kitty have a history (see picture below...) Kilakochan was my childhood cat who lived 14 years (long enough to see me off to college). She was the only cat I had ever seen who would walk down the street with my dog and me. Yes, that's Lucy helping Aaron with the puzzle for Rai
I am thankful for friends old and new who go out to lunch on a whim, drop by the house just because, and send silly pictures taken decades ago when big hair and leggings were in
I am thankful for Rai's birthmother who gave Rai the gift of life and whose adoption plan brought him into our lives and for Rai's foster family who opened their hearts to Rai and us and have become an extended part of our family Rai and his foster mother (Omma)
I am thankful for a healthy family, food in our pantry, a roof over our heads, and the love in our hearts. I am thankful for the little things which make us smile and for the big things which change our lives forever.
