Family visit

Family time

I had a rare visit from one of my brothers this week. He had spent the last few years caring for his wife as her alzheimer's condition deteriorated. She died in March freeing him up to do some of the things he wanted to do. 

However, with a house to firstly do up and then sell and then move to his new home, that left little time to actually do those things. Until now.

Roy stayed two nights, longer than he's ever stayed, giving him an opportunity to visit his nephews and partners he rarely sees.

Genevieve joined us and we visited Levi, Rosie and their baby, finishing with a roast mutton lunch. Michael joined us for a few minutes, then we travelled back to show Roy firstly Genevieve, then Michael's house. Roy hadn't seen either of these. The last time he'd been up north was to Daniel's unveiling and before that, his funeral, and both times had stayed elsewhere.

It was nice actually having time to talk as any visits before this had only been for an hour or so. We had caught up at his wife's funeral in March, but that had been a busy time for him with visits from other family members.

Roy is now retired, having been a university professor before this. And even though retired, he always seems to be busy with student's work that he has been asked to peruse, even on this visit. His reasoning was that by doing work on some of it while here, would mean less work on Monday when he returns home.

People are so busy in today's world, even in retirement, and often as in our case, meetings are at funerals or other such occasions. We just don't seem to have the time, or health, or money, or whatever, to make the effort to have visits, just for the sake of visits.

Both Stephen and I have had regrets this year, of people we have meant to go and see, only for it to have become too late.

Perhaps a resolution for next year could be to make time for trips to some of our distant friends, not for any other reason than catching up to say hello.