Living

I'm coming off another weekend feeling exhausted and exhilarated.  I was able to spend every minute of it with a smile on my face.  Yes, even when I was sleeping (I think!).

Paige and Tony were with their dad, which makes it a little more difficult for me to find that smile.  But a few Facetime videos, texts and picture-sharing always helps to ease the sadness that our distance brings.

I spent Friday evening with LOML, catching up on the last couple of weeks.  Our relationship is long-distance, but it's a long, long-distance relationship, and after six years together, we're still smiling and happy to see each other.  It's all I ever wanted in a relationship.

Saturday was a whirlwind of craziness, which is always the case when there is an event with all my Maryland cousins.  The laughter comes easy, the love is immense and generous.  The food got eaten, the drinks got poured, and the hours passed like minutes.

Though I am 46 years old, I summoned my 20 year old self for the night, and found myself in a diner at 2:30am sipping water and scarfing bacon, home fries and toast, all the while smiling and laughing.

Thank God for work on Monday!

I need the time to recuperate for The Great Fuzz Frenzy in Buffalo that starts on Wednesday.  I haven't had a vacation in quite awhile, and I save my time off for this week in August, where I will try to win the stuffed hot pepper contest, try to compete with the one-liners, try not to spit whatever I'm drinking onto the person sitting across from me, try to stop the sadness from erupting when I contemplate the absence of the wholeness of the family, and try to get together with all my girlfriends from high school.

But most of all, I will try to find the love, give the love, be the love and make the love a greater part of myself.

There is so much energy when life is exhausting and exhilarating!