Family

The past couple of months have been busy with assisting my father in planning a surprise birthday for my mother. She turned 70 this year and we wanted to make it special occasion for her. To both make memories and reminisce. We decided to invite all of her siblings and her mother out and have a reunion of sorts.

Everyone was able to make along with a cousin and my older sister to boot! The experience has taught me somethings I wanted to put into words. This is as good of a place as any other. First of all my grandmother has never had a knack for keeping secrets. She didn't disappoint. I could point fingers, but it wouldn't change things. Also pointing fingers would take from the out come. So I will skip that. We were able to pull the wool over Grandma's eyes to an extent still making most of the plans a treasured and pleasant surprise for my mom.

Guests began arriving all at different times over a period of days. It had started out that we were going to have one big surprise party. However because of the previously mentioned weakness of my grandmother we ended up having my aunts and uncles present themselves as they arrived. This turned out to be even better than our original plan. My mother was able to spend time with each of her siblings, one-on-one where she may not have been able to otherwise. Also because of this I was able to spend some one-on-one with them in ways I had not foreseen. It was a pleasant weekend, and I was able to enjoy it as much as my mother and my aunts and uncles.

Siblings were able to came and go as they were available which was also enjoyable.

My older sister has not been a full time participant in our lives for the first 20+ years of my life, so there is lost time in developing relationships. It was great having her out here where we could include her in day-to-day and also get to know her better! She has a beautiful spirit and a lack of confidence in areas like the rest of us. It was pleasant to nurture our relationships. We are trying to be better at including each other in our lives.

Everyone seemed comfortable in their skin and to enjoy one another's company. I am glad we were able to get to know one another better in this season of our lives. Family can't be matched or replaced. They define us, and make us who we are. The relations ships we have and continue to discover are amazing when we see where our traits are found in others and begin to understand more of who we are and where we have come from. We have many things in common that I never could have known, or imagined. Family is a place of understanding on a level previously felt unobtainable. Family is beautiful.