FROM A SOAR’S EAR

Visiting Mom at the hospital is tough at times. She is sleepy and will drift off, although when she is awake, I manage to make her laugh. Usually it is just myself, so you can imagine how easy it is for her to drift off, I even drift off on myself.

Yesterday I had a huge surprise, as I entered the MICU there standing outside my mother’s bedroom was my niece Annmarie! Annmarie is the daughter of one of my younger sisters and a proud mother of 2 beautiful children.

As we entered the room, and talked for a while, what to my great

delight happens but my niece Laurie Ann appeared! Two of my beautiful nieces paying a visit to my mom, and I had the benefit of being there. Laurie is the first child to make me an uncle, a title I cherish because the people are so special that do that. I have many nieces and nephews that allow me to call myself Uncle Joe, and they are all wonderful people, there are many achievements that they have scored and all like Laurie and Annmarie have beautiful children along with really great guys and nephews with wonderfully great wives they married. I’m sure if Mom would count her blessings, she could start at that point.

Sometimes we don’t really count our blessings fully. Maybe we look too closely at what is immediately in front of our eyes, but might miss some spots in our hearts. I love all my sisters, and after that visit by Annmarie and Laurie Ann, I realized blessings go beyond my big nose and sit deeply in my heart and soul, counting my children and nieces and nephews. They are all outgrowths of the family history, products of those I love and it makes me so damned proud when I see them.

I guess I’m a lucky uncle.