I LOVE my family. I feel so firmly rooted in the family that surrounded me as I grew up in WV. Grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins. Oh my, the cousins I have. I think there are some I have yet to meet. And others who are practically sisters.
But wait. Some of my dearest family members were not, er, family in the 
traditional sense of the word. Grandma was actually Dad’s stepmother. But she married my grandfather long before I was born and so Grandma she truly was to me. And Aunt Bess was my great aunt’s sister-in-law. No actual kin–not even a cousin. But when we were together our hearts beat in unison.
We spent yesterday with some very special people. After a morning of worship with our church family I took a gift and headed to Barbara’s house. She’s a lovely lady who needed her leaves rakes and bagged this past fall. A volunteer group from church tackled the project and Barbara and I discovered a mutual love of the black bears in the area. So yesterday I took her a Christmas gift and we talked about bears for an hour or so.
In the evening, my husband and I hosted some neighbors for dinner. I’ve mentioned Agnes before–well, she’s in Hospice at the moment and we knew her family would enjoy a home-cooked meal. So we cooked a pot roast and a sweet potato pie and welcomed them to our table where we talked and laughed and prayed for Agnes.
I miss my family this time of year. I wish I could be with them all on Christmas morning from the littlest niece on up. But while my blood-family will always be the best kind of family, I’ve realized that there’s another kind that’s almost as good. It’s the family you get just be loving the people you meet. Neighbors, co-workers, dog-walkers, the lady who needs her leaves raked.
It turns out family isn’t all that hard to come by. Just love someone and odds are pretty good they’ll love you back. Now that feels like Christmas to me.
Meet Sarah
OK… I must be fragile emotionally, or else it is the season, because you sure have been making me cry a lot lately. Or is it because you write so well? 😉
I’m going with awesome writer . . .
What you say here is especially true for people who have to move around a lot and can’t be close to biological family, or who didn’t grow up with a healthy or close family and may have parted ways for one reason or another. I think we all need those close, giving relationships even if we didn’t get them growing up, in the “usual way.” Thanks for the reminder that God supplies this kind of family warmth, both through us and for us. Merry Christmas!
I’m betting you were especially good at this during those years abroad. Of course, you’re easy to love!
Thanks, Sarah–mutual, I’m sure! There’s an article along these lines in the Fall issue of my Sarah (Sarah Clark)’s magazine, Fare Forward, called “Blessed are the Homesick.” You can see it on line, I believe: fare-forward.com
You really caught the spirit of Christmas! Wonderful post.
My family is…well, canine. And I think they understand the spirit of the day quite well – better than most people do.
Yesterday Barbara’s Rottweiler gave a rawhide treat to her buddy, a Jack Russel, and watched as he chewed it down. A generous heart for the season, perhaps?
Yes! Canine family members. LOVE that story of puppy sharing.