Yes, this part of
our lives is sad. It's tiring. It's overwhelming. And yet, it shows the power
of family.
During this week, my
husband's extended family came together to celebrate Passover. This night was
different than any other night. We celebrated with family far and near. We
celebrated from coast to coast and from North to South. We had family join us
from the middle of the country and the middle of the state. Others joined us
from the other side of town. It was wonderful. It was a Passover that will be
remembered by all. And the amazing thing about it was that it was like every
other Passover. My husband worked hard to make sure everyone had the
experience. The only difference is that we weren't together physically, but we
were together as family - remembering the journey from slavery to freedom.
And, then, my
Catholic family came together - two Friday nights in a row. Some of us live
within a few miles of each other, and we only see each other at Christmas and
Father's Day. And yet, in this time when we are all struggling, we chose to be
together. We talked. We laughed. We smiled. We shared the challenges. We
celebrated the successes. The nurse, the teacher, the parents, the students -
all coming together because we are family.
My Catholic family
and my Jewish family are the same. We are family. We find solace in being
together. We appreciate each other for who we are, and who we are not. While we
talked tonight, on Good Friday, my husband was making Matzah lasagna, and my
Italian family looked shocked by the possibility of substituting matzah for
lasagna. We laughed. We smiled. We joined in celebration of family.
