Family Gathering

I just found out that my aunt/uncle/kids from Oregon will be flying into town this weekend, rather than at Thanksgiving. I tried to see them when I was in Seattle, but timing was too short. My uncle heard about the feebleness of my grandparents and chose to have his family vacation here so they can see them. Looks like some time next week we'll be having a family dinner, which will be nice.

I haven't seen my uncle's family since they were in town to help move my grandparents into an assisted living home a few years ago, and I haven't seen my grandparents since they were moved into a full-service alzheimer center about a year and a half ago. I love them dearly, but I haven't wanted to visit them since they began their descent into senility. It's not just the senility that gets to me. It's all of it - having to see them in confined rooms when I was so used to their three bedroom house and their conversations. I feel horrible for it, so I can really appreciate it when there is a time that we are all getting together to visit.

I've spent the past month hearing of parents and grandparents either passing away or become diagnosed with illness, so I am so grateful that I am getting to spend additional time with my own family. Normally, I would take such a dinner for granted. Not this time.