The Web That Holds

Last week I was traveling. To Florida. For my birthday. This was a significant birthday, and so, corralled expertly by my talented daughter, my entire immediate family came together on Key Largo for a weekend of celebration.

I was gobsmacked!

 The group consisted of my three adults—no way can I continue to call these capable and delightful people my ”children,” for children they are not—their spouses, and five of my six grandchildren. Sadly, one grandson was unable to come due to his exam schedule—an annoying lack of cooperation on the part of Boston College, I felt.

How to write about this? I have thought and thought. How to convey to you the absolute joy of the time with these people whom I love and to whom I am so profoundly connected?

We did almost everything the Ocean Reef Club had to offer, either together in one large group—picture my oldest son-in-law immediately after breakfast hurrying toward the pool, clutching newspapers and T-shirts to scatter in order to save twelve chairs. In smaller groups we went deep-sea fishing, played golf and tennis, took walks, and indulged ourselves at the spa. It was all there and the sun was shining. We took full advantage.

But mostly we hung out together, told stories and laughed.

A family photo was taken to commemorate the occasion and I felt sorry for the photographer: it was like herding cats. Still, the picture was achieved and we will be forever framed, arms linked, celebrating one another at the time of my birthday.

That we are a family of privilege is not lost on me. My family members are creative, hard working and successful. We are extraordinarily fortunate in that way.

But far beyond the wonderful Ocean Reef Club and beyond even our individual idiosyncrasies and shortcomings--- we certainly have those—there exists among us a miraculous web of love, the web of family that weaves us together and holds.

My greatest joy lies in the fact that we love being together. Nothing, no-thing in this world, is better than that.