Neena and Papa

"Oh what did you go and put that up there for?"

is what I am going to hear.

These are J's parents.

Easter 2 years ago. (Yes, I am way behind)

I rarely get to scrap them, so I thought I would share something I did last night. It turned out so nicely I wanted her to see it.

Journalling reads - Geography keeps us apart, but our hearts close the gap. Always enjoy the chance to visit.

There are just some people in your life that you don't talk to often enough, see often enough or tell often enough how special they are to you, and what they mean to you. Sad but true.

I met these two 22 years ago.(Ack to say that outloud!) I was a petrified teenager with low self esteem and an anxiety problem in new situations. J was living with an aunt here in Pa at the time, who was not nice and not fond of me at all. Trust me, she was not kind to me one little bit. She was the only relative of J's I had ever met, besides his brother briefly the night I met J. So to me, his whole family could be as bitter and angry as this aunt. The five hour ride in the back of the car with his aunt and uncle, total silence the entire way - after I had had to ask them to go back to my house 15 min into the trip to retrieve my purse with my "personal items " in it. Not a pretty sight. I was sick to my stomach, had no idea what to expect, and no idea how I would be treated once I got there. As far as J told me I was the first girlfriend he had since he was in Pa that garnered the trip home to meet the parents, so the pressure on me was intense.

All I can say is, I was greeted incredibly warmly, welcomed into their home, and treated beautifully from that day on. She wound up being the polar opposite of her sister, much to my relief. I couldn't ask for better in-laws. I can imagine our descending upon their home to take over for days at a time can be stressful. One problem with being so far away, instead of brief frequent visits, our visits are usually long. The welcome is always warm, and we always feel right at home. We keep trying to talk them into moving down here.

I know she would mother me far more if my personality allowed it. I am not used to being mothered and pampered - difficult for me. I find when I am there, I want to do for her rather than have her do for me. Pamper her a bit. Two women in the same kitchen both wanted the other to go sit and relax. We also get to chat over cutting onions and peeling potatoes. They are both gentle people with big generous hearts. I believe they could probably walk on water for us if it was required of them. I know I don't keep in touch as I should. even after her healthy scare last year, and my promise to myself that I wouldn't let this second chance go without more contact, I fail. I tend to push J more to call and keep in touch, cause after all, he is their son and they deserve to talk to him. He is also a man, and without my prodding and if took over the task, he would never talk to them. Calling more is one of those things I keep meaning to do, and just let slide on busy days when most times I don't sit til 9 pm. I also made a pact with J that I would not buy his family holiday/birthday cards. The sentiment was to come from him, not me. So that means there are often holidays that go buy with no card from him at all. I was so happy when I found a mother's day card that was perfect to send from me. I enjoyed buying it and sharing it with her.

I occasionally see glimpses of his father in J, and sometimes that is good and sometimes that is scary, but I also know we are our own couple and can work some of the challenges. Seeing the similarities now, also helps me deal with the issues ahead of time, and change my approach so hopefully it won't be an issue later on.

So this is in my own small way my way of letting them know how much they mean to me, and how special they are. They are now permanently part of one of my scrapbooks, and as always in my heart.