Weirdbook.org - November 30, 2009: On family

On family

A quick postscript to Thanksgiving as November draws to a close. I couldn't help but notice the changes in the family this year. Several new members, one notable absence, a separation in progress, and one confirmed "bun in the oven" as the expression goes, making me an uncle for the third time.

I've decided family is difficult to define because it is continually changing. I find myself drawn and bonded to people I barely knew this time last year. At the same time, others who I thought would always be a part of my life are now like strangers to me, and others have been lost to the relentless dual marches of time and entropy. I certainly never anticipated this year's Thanksgiving to be anything like this, and based on that, I probably can't have any realistic expectations of what it will be like in the future.

Some of the changes have been gradual and some have been quite sudden. I don't think I'd considered how many changes there have been until this weekend. But you know, we've all dealt with them the best we could. And I think the fact that we're all able to get together despite fortune's dealings speaks to the strength in the family bonds... whether they have years of history behind them or are as fresh as spring buds on a tree.

I know I'm lucky to have that strength in my life, but I also know I forget it or occasionally take it for granted. This holiday weekend was a good reminder of how fragile yet valuable these connections are, and I'm going to try to take that reminder to heart.

Posted November 30, 2009 @ 22:02:53 EST. 0 comments.

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