Back from Iowa.

I am back from the funeral. It was a nice service in which my sister sang (well), and my aunt and dad gave great eulogies. My aunt's eulogy sparked a chain of memories within me, though, which is the purpose for this blog.

My aunt started her eulogy by saying something along the lines of, "people in our family don't express their love with words or emotions very well..". The second she said it, a flood of memories poured into my mind. We don't! I don't tell my parents how much I love them enough, or how much I appreciate the guidance they've given me. I certainly don't tell my sisters how great I think they are, or how each one has influenced me to be the person I am today. I don't tell my brother that no matter what, I always have his back (even though that means kicking his ass at times).

I do, however, show that emotion well with women I have dated. I think there may be one or two women TOTAL that would say I was emotionally unavailable...the rest would agree with my aforementioned statement. I've always been perfectly okay showing affection and verbalizing how much I love someone, as long as it wasn't family. I don't know exactly WHY that is, but it's been that way as far back as I can remember. Some women that I can think of, have also not been able to accept love or affection. It's a tough experience to want to show love and affection, but have it make the other person uncomfortable. The women in my life have always been the major outlet for my appreciation, but I realize that I also need to do a better job of appreciating my own family too.

We may NOT show affection by words or deeds, but that doesn't have to be the status quo. We can all change that. Tell your own families you love them and let them know how much they mean to you. Life's little moments are the moments that should be treasured. By showing your loved ones how much you really do love them, those little moments are easier to come by.