My nephew I hadn't seen since he was born and my niece, well, it had been too long since I'd seen her or her parents either. Distance is never an easy thing with family. There's either too much of it or not enough. Balancing life and family can be challenging. The goal, I suppose, is making the best of whatever distance is between kith and kin. Might seem a long way to some, to hop on a plane for less than 48 hours' visit, but all seems completely worth it the minute you have your arms around two such wonderful kids and your lips land on your Mom and sister's cheek. Is it realistic to live next door to your family? No, of course not. It isn't 1870 and Laura Ingalls Wilder has been dead awhile. We all have lives and careers that take us in different directions and when you share your life with someone else, it's doubly challenging, when their family is factored into the equation. The key is never forgetting about those out there that love and care about you. And making sure they know you haven't forgotten through your actions.