I can feel your emotions, hopes, and wishes through your writing, @imaginedragon. It shows all the imperfections a family can have (of course there's no perfect family just as there's no perfect person), but you have conveyed it perfectly.

Your mother's passing might have served a hard lesson for you that time is really indeed short to just sit. Now, as you live and arise from sitting too long, I wish you all the best - in your family relationships, in your parenthood, and in your life.