Together in the Holler

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I was listening to a story on National Public Radio about three sisters who were tested to see if they have a gene that predisposes them to Alzheimer's (A family looks for answers . . ." At the end of the interview, they commented that they were planning for the future.  One of the sisters moved back to the "holler" in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina where they grew up, hoping the others would join her one day.  The other two liked the idea.

Here is their reasoning:

"The good thing is, we would be surrounded by family and people that have known us since we were children. And so if we walked away, somebody would find us, help us find our way back home."

Wow.  

I thought about the neighborhood I grew up in. There isn't anybody left that would be able to direct me back to our house. I suppose their plan reflects the difference between growing up in a city neighborhood versus growing up in a "Kennedy-like compound, except redneck" where "some of the houses have wheels on them."

They said they have a really large family that they call "marshmallows 'cause they're so sweet."

The age of the sisters leads me to assume that in addition to the leftover neighbors that have known them since they were children, they must have members of that large family still around them in the valley, whom they are expecting to be able to count on.

Too often today we read about families torn apart by politics, or religion, or money.  It is nice to read about a family that is coming together in the face of an anticipated disease, figuring out their lives together.

While you may not live just miles from your friends or family, it is important to know that you can reach out whenever you are having a bad day or facing frightening circumstances.  None of us is ever truly alone. We have God our Father, our Creator, to thank for that.

Never let pride or fear get in the way of asking for help if you need it. We are all in this "holler" together, and as we continue on this journey to eternal life, sometimes we will be in the position of helping others, and sometimes we will need it ourselves.

As we know, both giving and receiving is something to be cherished.

Janet Cassidy
janetcassidy.com
#holler
#alzheimers
#giving
#receiving

 

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