Things I Miss….

I miss picking berries in my grandmother’s garden; riding in the truck with my grandfather on the winding country back roads. I miss large family gatherings complete with a kid’s table and an empty silverware drawer with chairs from every room in the house. I miss dad setting up the video camera atop a strategically placed tripod to record everything done and said for two whole unedited hours. I miss being dragged to church every Sunday, always arriving late and being pulled down the aisle to the front pew during the first hymn. I miss sitting as a family holding hands and saying a prayer before digging into dinner. I miss riding bike with my brother to the village store. I miss sharing one sink with four siblings. I miss barely getting by and always getting by.

I miss going to baseball, football, and hockey games to watch my own kids play. I miss family vacations to the beach, out west, and down south. I miss hosting family gatherings, holiday dinners, and leading worship on Christmas Eve and Easter morn. I miss barely getting by and always getting by.