I have a rather large family—there’s a ton of us. A lot of us live locally, here in Rochester. But there are dozens family members that live in many other places: Pennsylvania, Connecticut, New Jersey, Florida, Puerto Rico, and the list goes on and on. We’re pretty well spread-out. This can be a ton of fun when it comes to vacationing. But, at other times, it’s tough to deal with. It seems that when I was little, I got to see them more often. But now, with college, work, and the rest of life, those vacations have become less frequent. Now that I’m older and I better understand the value of time spent with family, this can be difficult to deal with. After just spending a day camping with my family in New Jersey, I feel that my heart is full—full of happy memories, laughter, goodness, and pure joy. However, at the same time, it’s a bit sad—saying goodbye and see you later have never been easy for me to deal with, but I’m learning.

To the loved ones who live far away, know this:

1. Although I don’t see you as often as I see my other family members, I love you just as much.

I don’t calculate my love for anyone based on the amount of time that I spend with them; rather, I base it on the quality of the time that we spend together. It could be ten days or five minutes—it all depends on whom that time is spent with.

2. I am grateful for the few moments that we get to share together.

Like I mentioned before, it’s not the length of time that’s important to me. I care about simply having the opportunity to share those moments together.

3. I always feel loved when I’m around you guys.

Even if I haven’t seen you in years, as soon as we are reunited, we pick up right where we left off. It’s like a never-ending conversation.

4. I take your love and advice with me everywhere I go.

I know that you love me; I’ve always known that. Whenever I have the chance to sit and chat with you or help you cook, I genuinely listen and I try my best to be present so that I can enjoy every second.

5. Whenever I say goodbye, I automatically think about the next adventure we will share.

Goodbyes are tough, but I don’t look at it as a goodbye, but more of a “see you later”. I love the idea of there being a next time.

So to my loved ones both near and far, know that I love you all equally, with every fiber of my being. And that no matter how frequent our reunions are, I am grateful for each and every one of them, and I carry them in my heart.

Until next time,

Hadassah