Family Appreciation
This past weekend my large family gathered to celebrate the man who started us all, my Dad, and honor him on his 80th birthday.
So many of us were there—his wife, children, grandchildren and great grandchildren, having flown in or driven far to be with this great man and each other. The weather hung on with a prayer, just long enough before the rains came, to be outdoors in overcast weather. The large heaters rented last minute kept us cozy and allowed the tables, lights and decorations we’d set up, to be used and look lovely.
We gabbed together, laughed alot, and cried alot with love and deep appreciation for each other and especially of Dad and how much his role modeling has contributed to each of us. We shared poems, special words and we sang songs.
Throughout the day a little punch was spilled, but no milk was—that is, there were no squabbles and everyone ignored any differences we may have in religion, politics, etc. “Families are like fudge, mostly sweet with a few nuts,” an unknown author once wrote. And over the years, thankfully we’ve grown and are still growing to appreciate all of our quirky sides, our differences and unique ways, and not make it mean anything. Even with each of our strong personalities, this commitment to caring allows us to continue to communicate and hang out with each other.
In fact, Erma Bombeck once said about about family, “We were a strange little band of characters trudging through life sharing diseases and toothpaste, coveting one another’s desserts, hiding shampoo, borrowing money, locking each other out of our rooms, inflicting pain and kissing to heal it in the same instant, loving, laughing, defending, and trying to figure out the common thread that bound us all together.”
What a joy to find this common thread! That’s not to say there aren’t still some side conversations to try to better understand why one of us makes a certain choice or goes a certain direction, yet there is far less criticism and disapproval associated with the questions.
One thing is for certain and that is that we’re deeply connected, not only as a family, but as human beings all living our lives and doing the best we know how. That alone deserves each of our respect. And we’re recognizing how our connection allows us to thrive and is necessary.
Paul Pearshall said, “Our most basic instinct is not for survival but for family. Most of us would give our own life for the survival of a family member, yet we lead our daily life too often as if we take our family for granted.”
I’m so grateful we don’t take our family for granted. We celebrate each other! Thank you, Dad – Happy Birthday – and my love also to you, Mom, for this gift you’ve both given us all.
Tags: acceptance, appreciation, deserving respect, differences, family
