We Are Family

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.