our beloved ones

there are a lot of different people in the world.
i suppose we become painfully aware of this pivotal truth from the first day we are forced to spend an afternoon with aunt thelma -- when she keeps passing the most horrendous gas and you have to sit quietly still, pretending nothing is amis in the methane-filled living room of grandma ski's small house...where the family will soon be gathering for another chaotic thanksgiving reunion.
like many quasi-romantics, the holiday season always fills me with a great sense of nostalgia.
i read somewhere that even the most painful family get-togethers will someday become fond memories.
i suppose that is debateable, but in my case, fairly true.
as i begin packing my bags to head home in just a few short days, my mind plays endless films of past family get togethers, scents of home nag at the tip of my nose...almost real, as i close my eyes and shake my head thinking about how much my small soul hungers for the comforting familiarity of the usual family craziness.
i used to wonder if my family would ever grow up, and now i could never be more grateful for all of their unique and precious quirks ;o)
my friend told me that in honduras they refer to their quirks as manias...i think that is quite fitting. those stange idiosyncrasies that the Lord has instilled in each of our hearts aren't there to make us weird or strange...they're there to add to the mundaneness of life (some might call it the "dryness" of life)...our quirks are the spice of life, and there's nothing more precious than becoming familiar with those unique gems that make the treasured people in our lives more than just aquaintences.
so, aunt thelma, bring on the flatulence -- 'cause i love you so much!