Several years ago, I had the privilege to attend the wedding of the daughter of one of my dearest cousins and I had the opportunity to bring my oldest daughter with me. I guess I’m just a sucker for family get togethers, especially when they are as joyous as this one. The aspect of this trip that was really exciting for me is that my daughter hadn’t seen this side of the family for a long, long time, so it was the opportunity to reconnect, get to know one another and share our common heritage.

The wedding also gave us the opportunity to get to know the new members of the family and how exceptional they are. We got caught up in the excitement of seeing the newlyweds beginning their lives together and everyone was dancing, laughing and meeting new people.

There is something about family that gets me right to the core. Memories of times and people long gone, happy times and sad, and in the end, it was family that held it all together. The wedding also brought back memories that I had forgotten. You see, it’s not like when I was a kid, when most of the family lived close by or within a few hours commute. Now many are spread all over the country and it’s harder for us to get together, share and enjoy one another. I got to witness something special – families getting together to celebrate one of the most joyous moments in a couple’s lives. In the process I saw something else. Not only was my daughter embraced by all our relatives old and new, but they all began arranging to do the facebooking and twittering and everything else so they can keep in touch. Modern technology at its best! We also rekindled the idea of a family reunion and maybe even a family trip to the old country. How great would that be to have the family go together on a trip like that. The last time I remember that happening was was over 40 years ago. I guess that’s progress, and I am excited that my kids will know they have family literally everywhere and that they are loved. It’s good to remember where we came from.

The wedding made me realize how great our family is and that I have many things to be grateful for…..my family is just one of them.