How time flies…

It was not that long ago that I remember running after my uncle’s car, greeting him, as he pulled up to my grandmothers house in his trendy, orange, Жигули (Zhiguli). With my father being absent during my adolescence in Belarus, my uncle happily filled his shoes. He was my idol. He was my role model. He made me slingshots! Any capricious request would come to fruition. As for my father – he was often away on business trips in Uzbekistan, working tirelessly to provide us with material possessions that were inaccessible and unattainable to most Russians. The price he paid for it was being away from his family months at a time. But that’s a topic for another day…

 

Now my uncle is 66 years old. Yesterday marked the 3 year anniversary since my beloved grandmother left this earth. I was devastated. I still am. Fortunately, or unfortunately, my life experiences have made me calloused. I can ignore my nostalgic thoughts. I try not to dwell too much…But sometimes I can’t help it. I reminisce and think of when my grandparents and uncle arrived to America. I had eagerly anticipated that day for a long time. I would see my grandmother’s face everywhere. I pined for their company and the totality of having my family together. And one day they were all here. We were reunited.

 

My sister lives on the West Coast. When my mom brought her home from the hospital I thought that she was the most adorable thing I had ever seen. But she grew up fast. And before I knew it she was teasing me, “Vadim is an idiot!” Over and over she would repeat this, as she put her small 9-year old feet in my face. Ahh, the good old days.

 

I’m not quite sure why I wrote this “blog” other than to have it serve as a reference point in time. Maybe my kids will read it. Maybe one day I will re-read it and say to myself: “Time flies…”