Nancy Waldron

There is a place in me that settles and is deeply peaceful when I am visiting family.  This past weekend I was with my children and all except one of my grandchildren.  My son picked me up when I flew in, we went to lunch, and visited the whole time.  We talk with each other on the phone every week, but it is different when we are face-to-face with the words flowing naturally, facial expressions visible, and an openness of hearts that fills my soul with joy.  The two days I was there was like that with my daughters and their families coming plus extended family and friends, with words and laughter flowing with such love and humor, it lifts me even higher.  Their loving care of my every want and need touches me deeply as there is no need to ask, they observe and it is done intuitively.  The gifts of a napkin handed to me, multiple hugs from all, an offer to pay for my flight, and so forth are all so precious to me.  They ask where Reggie is as he usually goes with me.  These beautiful, deeply loving children and their families I cherish with all my heart.

Next, I flew to Phoenix to visit my sister in her exquisite home on a golf course with a lake and palm trees out the wall of windows.  Visiting her is like going to a five-star hotel as she is exceptionally gifted in decorating with such warmth and creativity.  She is a great cook and tour guide, taking me wherever I want and showing me new restaurants, areas and things since my last visit.  We have a connection that comes from sharing a bedroom when we were children, from living in a different city together, from marrying men with three children, and from having our men die.  We walk beside each other in a way that doesn’t require words as our hearts just “know.”  I have fun when I am with her, whether we are shopping, eating, reading, or watching TV.  She has a clever sense of humor and loves animal antics, which she shares with me.  There is a love so deep between us that I don’t want to leave when it is time to go as it is like being “home” with no responsibilities.  Every time I visit I wish we lived closer together, yet, we each made the choice to live far apart – she in Arizona and me in Northern California.  This makes our time together so much more precious as we only have this moment to love each other.

She loves Reggie and always sends him a little soft toy – this trip she sent him a yellow Lamb Chop soft stuffed animal.  She rubs it all over her body so he will know it is from her.  The minute I start unpacking, he is sitting on the bed looking for what she sent him.  He smells her scent and goes right after it with such joy, shaking it and licking it and tossing it up in the air.  He took it outside on the patio to sit by him in the sun.  She is just love in so many deeply thoughtful, caring ways.  We are so very blessed to have her in our lives.

Visiting family is a joy I look forward to each year, and more so as the years go on.  It calls forth the connection of family in Spirit that comes to us when we are together.  I could feel my deceased husband while I was visiting the children and grandchildren (he is with me all the time).  While I was at my sisters, her deceased husband, my deceased husband, my deceased parents, and my deceased cousins came to me bringing messages for both of us.  It is that way wherever I am with Spirit always connected and bringing me greater awareness of all the blessings of family, friends, travel, the different landscapes, weather, food, and lifestyles.

Reggie is always so happy to see me when I return as we miss each other even though I call him every evening to tell him I love him and for him to sleep well.  His little body stays right by me for a couple of days until he is sure I am going to stay home.  He can’t wait to ride in the car again with his little ears flying in the breeze and barking at all the dogs and cats walking.  We are so happy – our little family of two.  Nancy and Reggie♥

My Grandson, Keith, is graduating from the Rio Honda College Wildland Fire Academy, in the Los Angeles area.  This Fire Academy trains cadets who are interested in a career in the Fire Service.  Their Alumni are working all across the United States with private, local, state and federal fire agencies such as the US Forest Service (USFS), Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF), Orange County Fire Authority, City of Los Angeles Fire Department and Grayback Forestry.