A Full House

My sister and her family have lived out of the area for the past 11 years. Joe, her husband, was active duty Air Force. So not only were they far away, they were regularly moving. They have spent the last two years in Hawaii. The cost of flying my family out to see them was quite prohibitive. And as we couldn't drive, that meant we saw them only when they were able to come home. And Joe stayed behind. And I had to share them with everyone else.

I didn't realize how much I missed my sister. Life has taken a toll on my psyche ever since Darrin and I moved to Florida. I don't know if it was my physical location or the absence of my family that did it, but I've battled ugly demons ever since then, even once we moved back home. Once I realized I couldn't handle life on my own and asked for help, things got better. Just not quite right still.

Being the mother of a child with special needs brings its own set of challenges. That has been my biggest battle these last couple of years.

But this year, the end of May in fact, Suzy and the girls moved home. They, of course, didn't have a house on the mainland and have been staying with me. Joe followed them three weeks later. There have been eight humans, three dogs and two cats living in my house for the past month. And I don't think my life has EVER felt so fulfilled.

There have been minor hiccups in the road, but that is to be expected when so many personalities co-mingle in such a little space.Things have gone so much better than I thought they might, I'm truly shocked it hasn't been harder. Kids, of course, are so resilient. I knew the girls would adjust quickly. And Sammy has never been so alive, he absolutely loves having his cousins here. Suzy has always felt at home in our house, I knew she would adjust too. Joe has always been welcome, but I feel this is the first time he has truly enjoyed staying with us. Maybe it's the lack of worry about a travel schedule. Maybe it's the knowledge that when they do leave us, they will be a short two-hour drive away.

I don't have a single answer as to why life feels so perfect right now. It's a mixture of all the good things going on. But I certainly cannot dismiss the impact my full house has had on my mood. My world feels whole once again, and my soul is at peace. I don't worry or feel (selfishly) jealous when they visit other family members. And when they close on their house and leave us, they will still be so close we hope to see each other regularly, not just once a year. While I know there will be a number of adjustments to be made when they leave, I can't help but feel like my life is permanently better for them being here now.