Southern With Style!

My father's brother is a very quite, reserved alcoholic, who is incredibly brilliant just never has much to say.  He lives in Houston (12 hours away) and we only see him once ever yearor two.  I've always felt so very disconnected to him.  Well the last few weeks, he's been on my mind for one reason or another and I was finally able to reach him last night.  He said we (my sister and I) were just on his mind too because for his birthday, his wife bought him tickets to go see the Astros play (Houston TX baseball team) and he had taken us there years ago to see our first live game~  Which we loved it!  But you know growing up, we were always starved for attention from him but it was kind of bittersweet to talk to him.  To know how much he's missed out of our lives and the fact that he chose not to be there for so long is sad.  I've forgiven him of couse, but I know that each and every person comes into your life for a reason.  And my husband's brother has two kids, with one more on the way and their sister just had her first baby too.  After being 12 hours away from them (they live in Chicago), I understand how easy it is to lose touch with them, especially when they're really small and don't know the difference if you're there or not.  But at least my husband and I make the effort to send cards and christmas gifts for the kids, even if we can't afford to go see them.  But if I get nothing else out of my relationship with my uncle, I at least hope its the drive to not let my three nieces and one nephew never feel about me the way I've felt about him for all of these years.  They're never going to doubt about my husband and I, "Did they love me?"