My People Too

Today, my sister wrote about "her people" on her blog.  She captured so much of what I'd composed to say in my head.  I wonder at this fascinating phenomenon in our family.  We each most certainly have "our people" those two people beyond our spouses or family that we rely on when trouble comes.  I am lucky to have many many close friends and just spent the weekend on an amazing scrapbooking retreat with four of my besties.  I was reluctant to go in my current mental state, but found it was a great chance to step mostly outside the situation with some ladies and crafts I love.  It was great therapy and I am so excited to make this an annual trip.  For now, it was probably just what I needed.

That said, my two "people" have always been and as far as I can imagine will always be Tracie and Sarah.  Tracie was at my house with sacks of Target things for me and my family by the time I had returned from DC on that awful Tuesday.  We sobbed together.  My father had adopted her as a Blakley long ago and officially knighted her one as she drove us around for Able's marathon adventure.  She looked as torn apart and rough from a day of crying as I did.  She was back later in the week with anything we requested and lots of time for me and mine.

  Sarah I sadly see less often, but no one has been so next to me helping in big life events as she has.  I remember vividly at my sister's wedding when Tracie was sick and I was supposed to be on bed rest she was there hauling and cleaning, calming and helping just as she was with trials of this week right down to giving me her sunglasses at the cemetery and the bag of chex mix this Thursday.  The night of the funeral they both sat with my family and somehow we found things to laugh about together again.  I treasure all their help and knowing that on zero notice they will do anything for me, really for us as they are so much a part of our family story.

We came to the fascinating realization that my people and Audra's people share a lot of similarities.  One tall, one shorter, one with a graduate degree, all in the health field, one catholic, one protestant and the list goes on from there.  I think it is kind of a sweet coincidence.  

I love that my Mom, Aunt, Uncle and Brother had their people too.  I also love and so appreciate how many of my OU and Rouse/Richards "people" came to the funeral.  I was so astonished by the huge efforts they put in to drive from Dallas or Tulsa or OKC for the funeral of someone that they had only met and in some cases may never have met. My Bison, Pioneer, Douglas, GW and DC "people" have also gone above and beyond to help and hold and do whatever they could possibly think of for us.  My Dad was an incredible man and we are incredibly lucky to be surrounded by so many amazing people as we deal with this incredible sadness. 

We love you and send you each our thanks.