THIS Is What It’s All About..
My older sister and I traveled a few hours north to Nebraska this weekend to attend a wedding. My cousin’s son married his long-time love, and it was truly a beautiful day. Our family traveled from far and wide for this special day. As I sat in the church watching the ceremony, I looked around. My cousins filled the rows in front of me and behind me. I thought about how much I wished my parents were there, how I wished my aunts and uncles were there…but here we were. Even without our parents, we were all still there..together. Our family, together for a happy occasion. As I sat in the church pew, a few simple words came to my mind. THIS is what it’s all about!
The Night Before..
We arrived at our hotel the night before the wedding. We stayed in a city about twenty five miles away, as my sister loves the beds at Hampton Inn (dang, I should have pitched for a sponsored post for them) and this was the closest we could find. Most of my cousins also arrived the evening before the wedding, but they stayed in the city where the wedding would be held.
We checked in around five, ordered a delivered pizza, and I changed into my pajamas. Just as I stretched out on my bed, my sister was texting with my one of my cousins. “Do you want to drive over to their motel and visit with them tonight?” she asked. “Um, nooo. I’m already comfortable.”
I love my cousins, I really do. But, as I’ve mentioned before…I’m not a social butterfly. I can remember family reunions through the years, and most of the time I go to my room early. Not because I don’t want to see my family, but because I just prefer to stay in my comfort zone as much as possible.
My sister told me that she could just drive over to see them for a while and I could stay in our room. I agreed that would be fine. But then, something came over me. I started thinking about things. We are all getting older, and truthfully we probably won’t have a lot more opportunities to get together like this. Why do I have to be such an old fart? I agreed to get dressed and go with her, as long as we didn’t stay super late (my sister has a habit of visiting with my cousin Rosella until wee hours of the morning when they get together).
When we arrived at their motel lobby, I grabbed a chair next to the wall. My sister, of course, sat down right in the center of the room to visit with each person that walked through the door. As more and more cousins entered the lobby, I began to enjoy myself more. I had a nice time visiting with Julie and Randy. Believe it or not, it was my sister that was ready to leave before I was!
The Wedding Day
It was a beautiful wedding in a big Catholic church. As the groom Blake escorted his mother Jane to her seat, I felt the lump forming in my throat. When he hugged her, my tears came. You see, my cousin Jane has been very ill with cancer. Looking at her on this day, one would never guess how much pain she has endured and continues to endure. It was a moment that I’ll never forget.
The groom was so handsome, and the bride was stunning. I rarely pay attention to fashion, but her dress was the most gorgeous I have ever seen. When the couple knelt in front of the altar during the ceremony, the back of her dress sparkled and glistened with every movement that she made. I even leaned over and whispered to my sister how breathtaking that dress was in the light.
Party Time!
At the reception/dinner/dance, I sat between my cousin Rosella and my cousin Randy’s wife Gayla. Also at my table were my cousin Donna and her husband Lee, cousin Randy, my sister, and my cousin Dennie and her friend Bob. Let me tell you something….my cousin Rosella is the life of the party! She calls me her “sweet little baby cousin”, and at 52 years old…I take that as a compliment! Rosella is not a drinker, so I found it extra funny that all of the empty beer cans seemed to magically appear stacked in front of her. 🙂 She was a good sport and played along with it.
Jane (mother of the groom), danced the night away. I, of course, snapped pictures all night long. Pictures for Facebook, pictures for the blog…but most importantly, pictures to try and capture the moments. Moments filled with laughter and moments filled with love. Sappy as it may sound, this was a weekend of love. People threw aside their differences and celebrated together. We are a family.
Moments
In life, we are going to have conflicts. Maybe those conflicts will be with strangers, co-workers, or family. Too often people become estranged and let pride stand in the way of what is truly important. Life isn’t about material things. Life is about relationships. As I looked around the room and hugged each of my cousins goodbye after the wedding dance (and I am not a hugger, by the way), I tried to soak it all in. This may be the last time we are all together like this. Even if we are together again, this moment should be cherished.
I remember the last Thanksgiving that we celebrated with my parents. I’ve told this story before, and I’ll continue to tell it for the rest of my life. My mom had experienced a massive stroke and was in a wheelchair, and my dad had lung cancer that had moved to his brain. We wanted it to be a special holiday because we were unsure if it would be the last time one or both of them would be with us. My sister Lorna held Thanksgiving at her house because there were no stairs and it would be easily accessible for our parents.
It was a great day, but looking back I should have appreciated the moment more. How could any of us know that it would be the last Thanksgiving for both of my parents as well as my sister Lorna? My dad passed away less than two months later, ten months after this my sister Lorna was gone unexpectedly, and my mother passed just five weeks after Lorna.
It All Comes Down to This..
Appreciate your family. Resolve differences if at all possible. Live your life in the moment, and take the time to appreciate those moments. To all of my cousins that made this weekend so special, I love you all. I can’t wait until our next happy occasion get together! This is what it’s all about. 🙂
