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Gratitude 148: Family

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I know I’ve said this before, and I’ve posted this photo a time or two–whether here or on another blog I cannot remember–but in light of the tragedy of a few short days ago, I am reminded yet again of the sanctity of family. I love my children and grandchildren. I love each of the partners my children chose to live their lives with. I love the memories, joyful and painful, of all the events that soldered us together as a family. I love that today, at this moment, my family is intact. Too many families have had their lives ripped apart by the senseless tragedy in Connecticut. Children, parents, sisters and brothers, aunts and uncles, beloved teachers, heroes and villain were tragically taken from us in an instant. My heart is weighted with sadness as I think of those many who are left with empty arms who must find a way to go on. Prayers and sympathy do not seem to be enough. The desire to ease the pain of those who lost so much renders feelings of helplessness that I cannot do more. But, as inadequate as it seems to me in this moment, I do pray. I pray for their comfort, their eventual return to sanity albeit a sanity forever changed. May God sustain them and comfort them now. They loved and adored their families as I do mine. The tragedy reminds me that none of us knows when one or more of our loved ones can be snatched from us, even in the safest of places. I am grateful for my children and their children and for children yet to be born.

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Gratitude 97: Kids are Home for the Holidays!

 

It has been years since the family, all of us, joined together in one place at the same time. My children, pictured above, along with their families, are scattered near and far, as are my siblings. This year we all made an effort to come home for Thanksgiving. 2011 has been an eventful year with painful losses that remind us of how fleeting life is. We all felt the need to get together to celebrate this life we are given, the family within which we have our being, the joys that we celebrate, and the compassion and support we offer each other over pains suffered. It was a joyous time that ended too soon, as usual. And as usual, I missed getting a lot of “essential” photos, but the ones I did get are priceless. Between us all, I am hoping that we can put together a family album that includes everyone. But whether we do or not, I am grateful for the kids and all my family coming home for the Thanksgiving holidays. 🙂

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Gratitude 96: My Family

This is my family. At the time of this photo Richard and I had been married for only two weeks (he’s not in this picture), and we were all in KY to celebrate Mom and Dad’s 50th wedding anniversary. It is the last photo we have of the six of us together. Gary, my brother standing beside me, died a few years later. My twin brother, Steve, the one on the end standing next to Gary, lives in Colorado with his wife. David, standing next to Dad, still lives with his family in Louisville. If you have been reading my posts on my other blog, Inspired Vision, you have probably read about Mom and Dad. As a family we have had our ups and downs, as any family does. But I am blessed to be a part of this family, filled with love, care, spiritual depth and social conscience, adventure and laughter. This Thanksgiving we will all converge on Louisville, along with our respective families, to celebrate the day of thanks for our blessings, and yes, even curses which so often (in hindsight) turn out to be blessings. May your thanksgiving be a time of recognizing your blessings, celebrating your successes, and being thankful for life in all of its ins and outs. 🙂 I am truly grateful for my family. Happy Thanksgiving!

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