Family Gathering

As you know from my post before this, I had attended my Great-Aunt's funeral. It was a tough day to get through, but with the closeness of family, we were al able to pull through.
I had my mom, Aunt Laurie and Grandma staying with me for the weekend. It was so much fun to have them all here, to listen to their stories, to hear them laugh, and to just have them be present. Made me miss a little of home and made me realize California can really seem like years away.
They had managed to fill the weekend up, fast and I wanted to offer up whatever help I could do. One highlight was paying a visit to my brother's baby son, Owen. It was so much fun and it was so nice to see a huge smile on my Grandma's face, again, after losing her beloved sister earlier in the week to cancer. It's funny how babies can remind us that we are nurturers and we are all capable of love, even through the hardest times. Needless to say, Owen's face was just what we had all needed to make us smile, again.
On Monday, the family came by my work, got a tour of Days of our Lives, met some of the stars from the show and then got to see The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. It made me feel so good to see them enjoying their last day in Los Angeles. I wanted to make sure it ended on a high note. It also made me feel so good to hear them tell me how proud they were of me and my accomplishments. Every once in awhile, it's easy to forget how lucky I should feel for the breaks I have had and the support that surrounds me.
That night, I had a great time just sitting up and talking to my Grandma. I miss that time with her. When I lived in Oregon, it happened a lot and it was something I took for granted. Now, I realize what's really missing in my fast-paced life in Los Angeles. Unfortunately, it's not something I can order from a catalogue or pick up at the store. It just seems like family is there when you need them the most and that should never be taken for granted.