Happy Friday!

I'm so glad this week is over. It's been a rough one, what with the death of my friend's mother. I dreaded going to work every day as it meant putting on a brave face and pretending everything was okay. Meanwhile, my friend was busy planning funeral arrangements and grieving. I really wanted to be there with him instead. It felt wrong to be apart from him when he is going through such a difficult time in his life. It seemed like I was being a very bad friend.

There was not much to be done, however, as it was his family's wish that the funeral and following ceremonies be as private as possible. Who was I to intrude on their family's private suffering? I could not force that upon them.

Thus it was that I was left to my own form of grieving - respect for the family's wishes, and burying myself in poetry and wishful thinking. Ah, sometimes it is hard to be a good friend.

But yesterday was a pretty good day. Three of my aunts came to town and we had a grand family dinner with them. We chatted over some really yummy Korean food, and I felt so welcome and happy. I hadn't seen them in a while and it was great to do some catching up. Sometimes I forget about how warm and friendly my relatives actually are. It really feels like family when they're around - one big happy (and noisy) family! My aunts have notoriously loud and cackling laughs, and they laughed a lot! I was relieved that we were tucked away in a corner of the restaurant in our own room with a semi-closed door :)

There will be some more family dinners coming up to celebrate Chinese New Year and I'm looking forward to them. I'll get to see my 91 year old grandmother (I can only hope to live as long and as healthfully as her!) and my uncle who used to live in our house when I was little. I think it will be a good time of eating and sharing stories.

I wish you all a wonderful weekend, filled with happy times spent with family. Whether you're grieving, missing someone, or perfectly happy, time with family is a blessing.