Easter

Well it was quite the weekend! While it definitely was NOT the easy-going spring holiday I generally like, I do feel quite accomplished at having made it through. REALLY, what I feel is extremely blessed to have such a full, REAL life!

One of the things that Teri and I are equally determined to do is to build a new, combined family out of our two worlds. With a collection of kids between us: biological, "chosen" and those who have come via other kids, we both value our version of family and it is important to us to find a way to merge, mingle and nurture the new version. It is also important to both of us that our extended families get comfortable (or at least tolerate) that we are together so we are working hard to construct a strong base for what all this merging might look like!

Friday night, we had six of the "kids" over for dinner, egg-dying and general Easter merriment. Of course, I was not entirely merry with the recent passing of my grandmother, but we tried. It was amazing how crammed our little bungalow (which generally feels quite comfy for the two of us) can feel when we add 6 young adults!

Stuart and Leah stayed overnight which was also fun--knowing that there were "kids" in the house again brings out even stronger veins of "mother" for both of us. Stuart rode down to Roseburg and Grandma Peggy's funeral with Tiger and I, while Lucy and Jacob drove on their own. The service was a very true and honest representation of Grandma--I felt blessed to be able to contribute and participate (and Stu served as a pall bearer with calm stoicism.)The Nickson side of my family is very important to me and I just haven't been able to stay as connected as I'd like since I've gotten OLD. Just being able to "be" with my aunts and process the changes was wonderful.

Easter was, in some ways, like Easters past, but the differences were noticeable. So much death in the past year and a half, as well as the addition of more family members meant that it felt different. The activities might have been the same but the family continues to morph and change. I cannot help but be amazed and impressed with how we all open ourselves to those changes.

As my friend Doreen shared with me recently, there is always room for more love; it isn't necessarily the same--people change and lives change--but there is always room for more. Perhaps this is one of the great reminder lessons of Spring and Easter: things do NOT stay the same; they do not always come back exactly as they were before but life is for the living and the important thing is to continue on--warmly, openly and with hope...