Common Ground

It is often a strange thing how life takes you down one path then curves you around. You have your family, interest, activities, you may seem self absorbed at times. Then some event will occur or a communication line is open and you suddenly have people in your life that previously were just names or holiday acquaintances. You find that time has brought you around to a place of common ground.

Years ago, many years ago, I was fortunate to have a few visits to the deep south to visit cousins. We enjoyed each other, had fun and wrote letters for a few years after our last visit. Then life happened. College, marriage, moves, work, family changes. Time continued on but our connection was lost. Perhaps in the timing of life we lost our common ground. Perhaps we were distracted. Whatever it was, there was a gap.

I remember getting this article from my cousin. She was so excited. And years later I bet she has long forgotten this and the letter it came with. But years later we are on the same page again. Growing children, aging parents, middle age siblings. We are on common ground again. What is really special is the ability to pick up where we left off. We chat a few minutes and essentially have filled in the gaps. We discover in some way or another we have been doing the same things.

I have cousins, aunts and uncles that are just the same. Years where we are living everyday life with minimal communication not because we didn't care but because we were taking care of the home front. Now a quieter or at least more controlled time has risen giving us the chance to re-connect. When we talk it all out, we find we are standing on common ground. So for this moment I can enjoy the love of family and celebrate the chance to know family better, to share in their joy and their trials.