Whenever we come home to Detroit, we rarely do much of anything. In some aspects, this drives me crazy because I enjoy seeing, doing and exploring things. And there really are lots of interesting things to do in the area, whether it is a trip out to Stoney Creek to enjoy nature, venturing through downtown Detroit, or tantalizing your taste buds in Greektown. But as I mentioned, we rarely take the time to do these things.
Why you might ask? Because we tend to spend most of our time with the family. My husband comes from a large Middle Eastern family so as you might guess, family is everything. I love my in-laws dearly and they really are wonderful, Christian people. Typically, we visit maybe once per year and my husband has been gone for 30 years, so being with the family tends to take priority over anything else when we are home. Somehow, we always sit around doing a lot of waiting, anticipating who might be coming over.
Since arriving last week, we have spent every evening at my mother-in-laws until late at night. We eat and eat some more, watch TV and visit. Aside from some cleaning, the daytime has been spent at the trailer with the pups since we know we will be gone at night. This too, is one reason we haven’t been out sightseeing this trip. We had the opportunity to visit at my sister-in-law’s twice and last night our nephew and his wife hosted dinner. Afterward, Auntie Brandee played with the boys at puzzles and cars. These two have so much energy, are bright and super sweet. My husband’s aunt has fallen ill, so we were able to stop by and see her yesterday. Several family members were there and gave us a chance to catch up with them as well.
As much as I get antsy and want to go “do,” I know it is more important to be with the ones you love when you have the chance. Our time here is limited and we do not know what tomorrow will bring. Remember that when your mother asks you to come over, your brother calls out of the blue or your child needs some quality time with you. We get too busy with life and forget to stop and smell the roses; that includes being with your loved ones.
