Family to the Rescue

I had a wonderful hour and a half long conversation with my brother-in-law this afternoon. It had been a long time. And I so appreciate the opportunity to "catch up" with someone who is not in a hurry to get off the phone. It has been nearly eight years since he called to tell me my little sister had passed away. I was in such a state of shock. The shock waves are still in evidence. The fracturing in our family seems to have simply known no bounds. But he is now remarried to a dear woman he met at a suicide survivor support group in the immediate aftermath of what happened. For the past couple of years my brother-in-law and his new wife have come to eat lunch with me sometime in July, but this year he is running in the Badwater Ultramarathon, a 135-mile footrace held every year in Death Valley, California. The "world's toughest footrace." Only 100 participants are accepted to run in this. He has already run in four 100-mile marathons. I can't even imagine, but I know he is very seriously in training for these things and runs every day. I am so grateful that he has chosen to remain a member of my family and to take the trouble to call me occasionally just to catch up. It is such a blessing. I am asking that you all pray for him. This is going to be July 27-29. His name is Brad. From their calendar: https://ultraracecalendar.com/events/2425/badwater-135/ "The Badwater 135 is an unparalleled endurance race spanning 135 miles from Death Valley to Mt. Whitney, CA. Starting at Badwater Basin, the lowest point in North America, the course rises dramatically, reaching Whitney Portal, the trailhead to Mt. Whitney, the highest peak in the contiguous U.S. Runners tackle three mountain ranges, amassing a grueling 14,600 feet of ascent and 6,100 feet of descent." We talked about his communication with some of my late sister's family members on her father's side (we have different fathers) and I have had relationships with some of them also, so the whole conversation was just a reminder of how important family relationships are. I am not surprised that families become so broken because human nature is so broken, but I am so thankful that some family members choose to reach out and engage and care about the relationships, even when we live hundreds of miles apart. My heart is full. I love my brother-in-law and look forward to when I get to see him and my new sister by marriage if that's what you call that new relationship. It's family anyway, and it's huge. And that phone call was right on time. And if you are a member of a family, remember, no one can take your place. I have been writing less lately, but I thought I had better write about this. Family is where we learn about relationships. Some of our family relationships may not have been so great but still they are valuable and have an important role to play in our lives, much more than we tend to realize, I think. Sometimes it just takes picking up the phone.