A Sisterly Reminder...

My sister is honestly, THE BEST SISTER IN THE WORLD!! She called me tonight (yeah, it's nearly midnight...what are you going to do about it!?) and we gabbed for a bit, then she told me to check my email.
Last week when I vented about Cam, the destructo boy, she wrote me an email that basically told me that while she felt bad, she was still busting a gut over his antics. Yeah, if I hadn't lived through all of it, I would be laughing too. So she told me that tonight's email was the "nice" sister message. I read what she wrote and bawled. Yeah, I've got the tear-stains on my glasses to prove it! She reminded me of all of the things I have to be grateful for, and what I've been promised. I just LOVE her so much!! She's so good to me, even after I was so mean to her!

She also sent me a sweet poem about family, and lately, it's me...every word. I'm so mean to those that matter the most. I thought I'd share it here, and please, don't judge me too harshly!

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F A M I L Y

I ran into a stranger as he passed by,

"Oh excuse me please" was my reply.

He said, "Please excuse me too;

I wasn't watching for you."

We were very polite, this stranger and I.

We went on our way and we said goodbye.

But at home a different story is told,

How we treat our loved ones, young and old.

Later that day, cooking the evening meal,

My son stood beside me very still.

When I turned, I nearly knocked him down.

"Move out of the way," I said with a frown.

He walked away, his little heart broken.

I didn't realize how harshly I'd spoken.

While I lay awake in bed,

God's still small voice came to me and said,

"While dealing with a stranger,

common courtesy you use,

but the family you love, you seem to abuse.

Go and look on the kitchen floor,

You'll find some flowers there by the door.

Those are the flowers he brought for you.

He picked them himself:

pink, yellow and blue.

He stood very quietly not to spoil the surprise,

you never saw the tears that filled his little eyes."

By this time, I felt very small,

And now my tears began to fall.

I quietly went and knelt by his bed;

"Wake up, little one, wake up," I said.

"Are these the flowers you picked for me?"

He smiled, "I found 'em, out by the tree

I picked 'em because they're pretty like you.

I knew you'd like 'em, especially the blue."

I said, "Son, I'm very sorry for the way I acted today;

I shouldn't have yelled at you that way."

He said, "Oh, Mom, that's okay.

I love you anyway."

I said, "Son, I love you too,

and I do like the flowers, especially the blue."

FAMILY

Are you aware that if we died tomorrow,

the company that we are working for could easily replace us in a matter of days.

But the family we left behind will feel the loss for the rest of their lives.

And come to think of it, we pour ourselves more into work than into our own family,

an unwise investment indeed, don't you think?

So what is behind the story?

Do you know what the word FAMILY means?

FAMILY = (F)ATHER (A)ND (M)OTHER (I) (L)OVE (Y)OU

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Thank you Michelle, for the reminder! I really needed it!