simplicity that we often take for granted

I write this fresh back from a trip to New England.  I grew up outside of Boston and the majority of my family is still in the area.  I’d not been home in a couple of years and made this trip to attend my cousin’s wedding.

It is, oftentimes, difficult to be so far away from my family.  A visit home reminds me that I’ve been so lucky to be gifted with a family that I am close to and can turn to in times of both joy and sorrow.

Two things happened while I was visiting that reminded me of the simplicity that we often take for granted with both actual family and the adopted family that we find in friends.

 LIFE:

My cousin married the love of her life this past weekend. Family and friends came together to create a seamless and affordable wedding for them both.  I took official photos with a cousin from the other side of the family.  An aunt performed the ceremony.   An uncle played emcee and DJ.  Some friends performed the song for the first dance.  The wedding itself was beautiful, but it was the sense of family and community coming together to create the moment was what made it so special and so different.

DEATH:

On the other side of things, an acquaintance of mine suddenly and unexpectedly lost his wife last week.  He has been left behind with a young son and, understandably, a lot of grief.  However, it is obvious that the support system of family and friends has emerged to help hold up a person who is entering what will probably one of the most difficult periods of his life.  They are unquestioning of the time it will take to heal and want to offer as much as they can.

Oftentimes, we are disappointed by people around us; however, in times of need it never fails to impress how a familial community can come together and support someone they care for, regardless of circumstance.

~Meredith Deloca