By Brenda Cannon Henley
Life is lived so differently than it was a century ago for most families. In the past, families tended to settle in for lifetimes in the same cities and communities. The vocation or career chosen often decreed that the men and women worked together in the family business. Younger children were often kept by grandmothers, aunts, or older siblings.
I can remember hearing stories of how men and some women leaving for war often provided the first out of state travel for these homespun boys and girls. My own father left small town Georgia for lands and sights he had hardly imagined, much less seen. Family members saw him off in awe knowing he would be forever changed.
As I write this article, we are traveling down busy Interstate 10 headed for the Mississippi Gulf Coast and ultimately Gulf Shores, Alabama. My daughter, DeAnna Davis, flies to Washington, DC, in the morning with some of her area coworkers to speak before a congressional delegation. My US Navy grandson, Steven Brown, just phoned from the Pacific Coast. My pastor son, Dr. Brent Stancil and his family, live and minister in St. Petersburg, Florida.
Dan and I are excited to be traveling to see his very favorite sister in Ocean Springs, Mississippi. We will enjoy eating dinner with Mary’s two sons on the coast.
Point being for us and many of our family members and friends, keeping in close touch with those we love dearly is no longer going next door or two doors down, or even across town, or driving out to the farm. We have to be more dedicated, work harder, and remain diligent in expressing praise, congratulations, saying Happy Birthday, or expressing heartfelt sympathy to those we love. Sure, it takes thinking, planning, spending, and being creative to keep those family ties tied tightly. But, it is so worth it in the end.
Friendships also take work. They have to be tended like a beautiful garden and opportune communication is key to success. Email is a wonderful tool at our dusposal, but what fun it is to open the mailbox to discover a note, card, photo, or letter. Let’s put forth extra effort in keeping each important tendril tied snugly.
[9-28-2015]
Brenda Cannon Henley can be reached at (409) 781-8788, at
[email protected], or by using the contact form below.
Contact Brenda Cannon Henley:
[contact-form-7 404 "Not Found"]
Posted in 
