There are few things in this world that feed my soul like spending time with family, and since our extended families have begun adding little ones to the clan, that statement has become increasingly true.
There is a special smile that comes to my face when I see Robert running breathlessly around my yard, or Michael rocking out to the songs on my IPod that (surprisingly) pass his intense musical scrutiny, or Megan nonchalantly tugging on my shirt saying "Hey Kerny, can I have some juice?". I am awe-struck when I see Kaitlyn, a beautiful blond young woman, enter my house - how can this be when I have such clear memories of holding her as an infant? It seems moments ago that the photo above was taken - and now here we are, adults in our own right - some raising families, all working hard.
Few things in this world mark the passage of time and the profundity of growth so eloquently as children. I was the youngest of the New Jersey cousins, which has given me the blessing of watching all of my cousins grow up before me, graduate before me, have families before me....and the opportunity to learn from their experiences.
A few weekends ago, our family spent some time together playing, listening to music, roasting marshmallows and drinking hot apple cider, and cuddling in the brisk fall weather. And while the overall goal was to "catch up" - we really just ended up enjoying one another and standing back, watching the beautiful scene that our lives have become. Our families remind me of Monet's famous Water Lillies paintings: each canvas remarkable in their own right, beautiful and moving, created individually but in a similar fashion, able to be enjoyed alone - and yet they make so much more sense when viewed together.
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