and it doesn't matter that there is hair pulling and tattling and chasing and tears...
yelling and tattling and giggling and hugs...
kisses and pouting and whining and jokes...
no, when you are loved as strong as family, it doesn't seem to matter that the moments turn bumpy every once in a while.
because there are the many more moments of joy.
the phone call came that they had arrived and i drove down to meet them at one of the starbucks and she opened her arms wide and i began to cry the moment that hug pulled me near.
and there is something about being known and still loved.
and amidst the craziness of trying to referee and visit and calm down and tease, i bent down low and offered my arms to the wispy haired daughter of one of my dearest of friends.
holding the next generation of this group of us close...
and you know, she may have tried to pull his hair clear out of his head...
she may have hugged him so hard his face turned bright red...
there may have been tears and some occasional issues over sharing his cars, but...
she loves him.
she really, really does.
