The Gift of Family

Lately, I have been starkly reminded of the great gift that is family. No, many of us don't get to choose our family, and growing up, we may feel that life is unfair to be saddled with such totally embarrassing parents (my dad used to do a Brittany Spears dance in restaurants when we went out as a family :D). But the truth is, family has been to me a truly amazing and wonderful gift. I have two parents who have always been there for me, always tried their hardest to remind me that I am lovable and loved, that there are at least two people in the world who really and truly believe in me! And I have a wonderful sister who has grown into a close friend, someone I know I can depend on, someone I can look up to and be proud to claim as my "big seester!" And now I've started a new family with a wonderful man. Learning how to do life together has been one of the greatest challenges and one of God's most precious gifts to me in the past (almost 2!) years. And beyond these immediate members of my family, there extends a whole network of love and support. Through Mikey, I gained a whole bunch of people living nearby to claim as family. And my own family, also, branches out. Although many members of my extended family do not live close, I have always been so blessed at times when we can gather together, share memories, share jokes, play games, and eat!

This past Thursday evening, my Aunt Julie (my dad's sister) passed away after a massive heart-attack. She was only 39-years-old. At the funeral, my dad spoke and reminded us that the worth of a human life is not measured by how long a person lives, but it is measured in how much the person loved. My aunt gave and received incredible amounts of love throughout her life, and there was evidence in her last few days in the hospital: the battalions of friends, family, and coworkers coming in and out of her room. The masses of people gathered at her funeral to look at the pictures put together by her best friend since 1st grade. They gathered to remember Julie, to laugh at their old jokes, to reminisce about good times. The funeral home was filled with laughter because Julie left so much joy and fun in her wake that even in death, it kept overflowing in those she had loved. We will miss her and mourn our loss, but we all rejoice at the great gift God gave us to have her here for 39 years.

Here's my single sentence summary (since it is sunday):

Family is an amazing, incredible, frustrating, fortifying, and treasured gift!