Family

I just sat back and let the night unfold before me.  Three out of four of our adult children* gathered with our four youngest to celebrate their little sister’s birthday.  We now have four teenagers in the house.  As a parent of these eight souls, it was fun to listen to the stories exchanged among the generations of offspring.  Despite their varied young experiences, they now have a common bond.  We are a family.  Stories emerged through the night, “Remember the time that dad shot himself with his nail gun?”  And the sharing of a current adventure, “We got stuck on the sandbar and called the Brooklin General Store.  In thirty seconds some guy shows up to tow us out.  Good thing.  We were thirty minutes away from being engulfed by the sea.” Laughter.

The new teenager and her “first favorite brother” took goofy photos together with lime and lemon wedged candy as their teeth.  More laughter.  Big brother puts his long gangly arm around his little sister and shows those white teeth with bookend dimples.

My heart is full of love and full of hope for my eight kids knowing that once Jerry and I are gone that they will have each other.  There will be many stories, much laughter and love.

*Unfortunately, Gabrielle had to work.  Surely, had she been in attendance, the  stories would have tripled in number and drama.