Give Thanks...For Spending Time With Families

 Yesterday my family drove through four states to return home from a vacation. It took all day. It's still a miracle we can cover in one day what it took weeks and months to travel only a few hundred years ago. One thing that hasn't changed in the history of all mankind...

The joy of spending time with families.

At least, that's how it is for me.

I don't know much, but I do know that the family is the strongest bond humans can develop...not friends, not co-workers, not strangers. The family unit is what has allowed humans to exist, and anything that breaks down the family, helps to destroy humanity. More educated people than myself may disagree, but it's my opinion, and I hope to never change my mind on that issue.

Family.

This past week we stayed with family in California. My son met some friends from New York state at Disneyland. We were happy to go with him. Each day was a new adventure, each day something different. We even hit the beach on a beautiful December morning a few miles west of Malibu. Just wonderful.

On our last evening there, I stepped outside and took a few pictures of the sunset...Southern California sunset. It's beautiful, and not what the eye can see. It's beautiful to me because I see more than ocean, palm trees, and brilliant colors. I see a home where we stayed, a home that welcomed us with open arms, a home where we felt love...and felt loved.

I am fortunate to have such family in my life. I've tried to foster just such a feeling for my children, and now their children. When family works, there's nothing better in the world. I'm thankful for the time we spent making new memories, the time spent just sitting around a kitchen table talking or putting together a puzzle. It's Heaven on earth.

I don't know when we'll get the opportunity to return. I hope soon. I'd also love to spend time with other family members. Hopefully, we can do that, too. Family...not a diamond, is the strongest substance on earth.