Family

Family is something that can continually surprise you. I know that this surprise is not always a good thing and in many people cases, its very bad. I have been blessed with a family that is amazing. Surprises from family are almost always a good thing. Moreover, I have been blessed with many friends here in Philly that are very much apart of my family. They are the community that I live in weekly here. The people who keep me sane, make me laugh, and pick me up when I need a hand. This weekend was a good weekend to make new friends, say good by to friends, see family (and more family), and remember just how great the people who make up my universe are. 

The weekend started with an early out at work and thus I got to hang out with my co-workers at a happy hour. It was great to meet and hang out. Besides its always a good idea to start a long weekend off with some fun. After starting with a high, I went to a bitter sweet low, but helping a good friend to move. It was exciting in a way, because she’s getting married. But it is also said because she is moving away from Philly to Butler PA, on the other side of the state. It was also hard because she lived on the third floor. Luckily there were guys to move the heavy stuff, but after walking up and down the stairs 10 times...

That night I went and watched MIB3, which was amazing. It was a little silly, but Will Smith is always fun to watch. I cried. I feel like I cry for most movies. My friend that I went with laughed at me. But I figure it is better to be a sap then to be without emotions. Even if being a complete sap means I cry basically at the drop of the hat. Movies, books, radio dramas, or even commercials.

Sunday my second cousin (once removed, I think), came from Lancaster to come to church with me. We then went to Long Wood Gardens. I’ve never been to the gardens. It was amazing. I love well tilled earth, organization, and a little mix of mayhem. These gardens are in general well organized and very thought out. But plants have a mind of there own and that is the mayhem part. Sure there was not as much wildness in the gardens as I would have liked. But it was there. Its the unplanned parts of gardens that are the best in my mind. Trees that grow in weird directions or the way one plant will be a slightly different color from its relatives around it.  After the gardens we drove to Lancaster and had dinner with a couple of my cousin’s friends and to play cards. It was great to talk and laugh and eat together. Then today my cousin and I drove to North East Maryland and Elkton, to visit with her brother and other family. We ate food, talked, went for a nice walk in the afternoon heat, and watched baseball. 

I’m tired. Talking to new people and the emotion of saying goodbye to old friends, mixed with traveling and a ton of walking has me whipped out. But its a good whipped out. And more importantly being around my family reminds me of why I love telling stories and doing theatre. We are story tellers. It is in our blood. Comedy and tragedy. Who we are is in a way our story. We share ourselves, we open our books and let others peak into our lives. It is way I love art, story telling, writing, and theatre.