Home to Georgia

I'm heading back to see my family in Georgia this weekend. For a long Easter weekend, really, since I leave tomorrow and won't come back until Monday. It sounds so simple, but to be honest - going home can be complicated. I want to see everyone who is important to me, but with only a few days, it's not easy to spread my time around in a way that makes everybody else happy.

First, there's my mother. She pretty much wants me to be with her the whole time. I think she's beginning to understand more and more that I'm actually an adult who can make her own decisions. For some reason, it's more difficult for her to understand that I want to spend time with my sister and brother just as much as I want to spend time with her. But when she went home to Indiana to visit her family, didn't she stay with her sister? Sure, she went to visit her Mom when she was alive, but most of the Indiana visit was with Aunt K, not Nana. So why doesn't she understand that I want to see my sister too? Inevitably, I am wracked with guilt for not spending enough time with my mother when I am home.

I absolutely LOVE going over to my brother's house. It's a beautiful house that's comfortable and friendly. Conversations with my brother are always funny and intellectually stimulating. My sister-in-law is truly just a part of the family. And she's a friend, you know? Someone I could talk to for hours without getting tired. Then there's my beautiful niece, who is growing up way too fast. I enjoy being over there with them.

My sister is the same way - but different. We don't ever spend much time with her partner, who works all the time. But I adore my niece and we have fun together. And spending time with my sister is more fun than I ever imagined it could be. Back when we were younger and we barely liked to say two words to each other, I never dreamed we would sit and talk for hours and play games and watch movies and talk about books the way we do now as adults. I love my sister very much, and I don't get enough time with her as it is.

So where do I fit my friends into this equation? With only three nights at home (maybe four), that leaves one night for each of my family, and no real time for any of my friends. There are lots of people I'd like to see when I'm home. Friends from my teaching days. Old friends from High School. Church friends. But any time I spend with them takes away from time with family - and do I really want to take time away from the people that I know truly care about me? Especially when most of these other "friends" rarely, if ever, call me and ask me how I'm doing? I guess the decision isn't so complicated after all.