I knit my sister a scarf for her birthday and gave it to her this weekend.  It was the first time I had seen this sister in 6 years.  The 5 children of our family are scattered across the country.

 This past weekend we all made our way (except for one brother) by plane and by train to Winnipeg, with our spouses and children in tow, for our nephew’s wedding.

  Aside from the obvious joy of 2 young people beginning their life together, weddings are an excellent opportunity to make the extra effort to reunite with family.  

  Confusion and chaos reigned supreme over the course of the weekend, as is often the case with my beloved siblings.  One branch of the family missed their flight back to Ontario, our oldest brother was a no-show and our rowdy, disorganized group of 16 added more than a few worry lines to our waitress at the restaurant on Friday night.   

 Amid the chaos and excitement we felt connected once again.  We had all put aside our busy lives for a few days to demonstrate  our love and support for our nephew and his bride as well as to experience that, now rare feeling, of all being together  in the same room.

  As the strands of my sister’s scarf are intertwined so are our lives threaded together with shared memories, family history and unconditional love. Our no-show brother has no idea what an opportunity he missed this weekend.  His absence is his loss.  

 My family, both nuclear and extended, keeps me grounded and humble.  I am reminded that nothing in this life is more important than the bonds of family. 

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