Most people appreciate their families most of the time. However, if you’re lucky enough to have family close to you all the time, you may not be as appreciative as you should be.

I was reminded of it this week when my brother Allan and his wife Pat were able to pay us a visit from Edmonton, Alberta. It’s been a few years since we’ve been together and it was great to have the opportunity to catch up, even if it was only for a couple of days.

And what timing. We were able to enjoy a Thanksgiving meal with them, along with two of our sons and their spouses, and two of our grand children. On the second day we took them to visit other family members who couldn’t be with us on Thanksgiving Day. My time flies by when you haven’t seen people for a long time.

So the next time you feel like complaining about family members being around a lot, think about what it would be like to only see them for a couple of days every five years or so.