Changes

My little brother is gone. Ok, that sounds very dramatic. He's actually in Baltimore, where he has relocated for a job. I didn't think I would miss him...that much. And, I don't even miss him yet; He's only been gone a day. But, I am sad, more than I thought I would be. It seems like the first step in the scattering of my family, that I always knew would occur. Except, I always thought I would be the one to leave. Instead, it is my baby brother and his wife, who I adore. And, it seems so far...the other side of the country. 4 1/2 hours by plane plus the 2 or 3 hour time difference (depending on the time of year). Not the easiest weekend jaunt. It's actually the same distance in hours as it is to my parents' place in Alpine, and I know how hard it is to do a weekend trip up there even with no time change. I think more than anything, I realize that I have taken the close vicinity of my family for granted. My siblings and I have lived within 5 miles of each other for years, and I rarely saw them outside of holiday functions. And now it is too late and that makes me sad. Dan and Gio are also trying to get out of Phoenix, as far as I know anyway. They have been tossing around the idea of leaving the country. What happened to the days when families stayed near each other? Even with minimal face to face visits it is nice to know my entire family is a short drive away. I'm grieving the loss of that...it hurts more than I imagined.