A Family Near And Far By Melissa Henderson
Family can be defined in various ways—biological, adoptive, and friends who are so important to us we call them family. Those friendships can be near and far. When I was a young girl, my parents and I often traveled from Virginia to North Carolina to visit aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends. I admired the way my Daddy would finish working his shift at the local shipyard and drive the route to our destination. His shift ended at midnight. Mama and I would arrive at the pickup area and wait to see Daddy approaching the car. After hugs, we settled in for the drive. Sometimes Mama drove so Daddy could rest. We often visited a local truck stop, which served the most delicious pancakes and the most awful sour orange juice. Even though I didn’t like the taste of the juice, I ordered the same food every time. This “middle of the night” meal was a chance for my parents to stretch their legs and for me to watch the big rigs drive in and out of the parking lot. After our meal and rest, we continued onward to North Carolina. There were times when we arrived early at Aunt Lerah’s and we had to sit in the car and wait until she woke up to let us in the house. We snuggled down under coats and blankets until the sun peeked over the house and the roosters began announcing their morning call. As Aunt
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Lerah woke, she dressed and welcomed us into the house. One of the first things she did after we entered her home was to call our cousins to let them know we had arrived. “Come on over. They’re here.” In a short time, family began arriving to greet us. Laughter, more food, and stories of what was happening in the life of each person brought joy. In the afternoon, Mama, Daddy, and I often went for a ride while my aunt rested. My parents would point to places they visited in their youth. Each dirt road we traveled held special memories for my parents. We were in the country, not the city. We saw abandoned barns, tobacco farms, corner gas stations where an attendant came to the car to “fill the tank”, and many people enjoying the afternoon while sitting in their rocking chairs and waving to anyone passing by. Stories about family and friends often brought laughter. Other times, remembering those who had passed on brought tears. I always loved how Daddy and Mama never met a stranger. As we traveled on those country roads, Daddy would often stop the car to visit with an old friend. People that Mama and Daddy had not seen in a while would still remember and pause to visit.
