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<center>![20230101_183155-01.jpeg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/galenkp/Epxps7vczke8QGDBb1pJGCfmba8q9ZyApAPCybkrEWT6QoG2RLcPJqTUExhkCerZfQx.jpeg)</center>

<center>*Let us be grateful to people who make us happy, they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.*</center>

<center>**- Marcel Proust -**</center>
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I'm the only one of my family members for thousands of kilometres...they're spread far and wide and, in Australia, far mean *far!* I don't get to spend much time with them, especially my brother @tarazkp who lives in Finland (which is not in Australia in case you're wondering) and I miss them a lot - I feel isolated. I've heard people say they think it's a good thing to be separated from one's family, I guess because, as we all know, sometimes they clash, but for me I'd like to have them a little closer. 

I've just spent a couple weeks with the little dude in the image - it's my nephew, *Mr. Bonkers*, and we had an amazing time together. 

It's difficult to put the feelings into words, maybe you'll understand if you're a parent or even an uncle or aunt yourself - there's a bond, a connection, that makes spending time together something very special whether it's doing a cool and fun activity, or just sitting around talking. It's a special time and, whilst my nephew was here, I felt a little like what a parent must feel for their child. 

I knew it would be difficult for me when he went home, and for him also, *and it was.* 

We've video-chatted twice since he went home and it's been fun, a nice way to extend the enjoyment, but it's not the same. The lad is only four and despite being smart, doesn't understand the concept of distance all that well I guess. He wants to come back; I want him back too, but it's not possible of course. 

His mum told me he's been crying at night because he misses me. That made me very sad; I should say *sadder* because I already miss him so much and knowing he's so upset made me more upset. We have to cowboy-up though, there's four thousand kilometres between him and I and with my work and personal commitments I just can't fly around so easily right now. 

I'm planning to head up to the tropics of Australia, *Far North Queensland,* where they live in winter, the best time to be in that hot and humid environment, and I'll see my nephew then but it's not set in stone, my visit, and until it is I'll not count on it happening; I'm working towards it though, to make the time available amongst all my other commitments.

I wrote to my sister in-law the other day, a text, and told her how sad I've been and said I feel like I've lost the closest thing to a son I'll ever have and that I really miss him so much. She promised to do more videos and send more photos after that which I appreciated, a few have come through and they always put a smile on my face.
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I can be very *stoic* by nature, it's served me well, but when it comes to that little kid, and my niece in Finland, @smallsteps, I am a bit of a softie. They mean a great deal to me and despite not being able to show them very often it's a very strong emotion that I carry all the time. Not a day goes by in which I don't think of them, miss them and want to give them a big uncle hug. 

I'm sad tonight; there's many reasons which I'll not mention, but not having this little dude here, not being able to hug my niece and tell her how important she is to me, makes it worse. But...the thing is that *they know I care*, I tell them when we speak, every time, and that they would run up and hug me if they could and the happiness they bring me stays with me no matter what I do or where I go. Having them in my life, even from a distance, makes me a very happy man.
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Design and create your ideal life, don't live it by default; tomorrow isn't promised so be humble and kind - galenkp

<sub><sub>Any images in this post are my own</sub></sub>