Devotion

I've had the Indigo Girls' song Devotion stuck in my head for the past few days. Only yesterday did I get a real glimpse of devotion. It was a somewhat surprising source as well - my family.

I knew they were coming up here, of course, and that it was a long haul, but I didn't really think anything of it. I figured that they would find a hotel room, although it would've been tough to find anything near. When they got here, however, I found that they did not manage to find a hotel room but simply came to see me, to hang out for a while, and to head back home the same night. They spent at least eight, probably nine, hours in the car yesterday. That's more time than anyone should have to spend with my family, really. [I realise that this is harsh, but they are not an easy bunch.]

They definitely were with me for less time than they were in the car. We visited a couple of cute shops in town - the same sort that are in my hometown - and had dinner - the same place we always go when they visit. They saw the performance, they saw me, we bought Oreos and then they left. I think they spent between six and seven hours with me, including the time that they were in the audience.

I am often impressed with displays of affection among my family for the main fact that they are rare. I don't cherish them as I should, but I'm fairly sure that that's a common occurence in society. But I'm not going to talk about society right now. I use references to the general term "society" quite often, but sometimes I wonder if I know what I'm talking about. Tonight I'm almost certain that I don't.

I only hope that I can be more appreciative of my family and the effort that they put in, the time they devote, and the values I've gotten from them, even if I don't agree with some [or any] of them.