For the Love of My In-Laws

For the Love of My In-Laws

Turkey made of fruits.

This turkey was made by Nancy Jones. A beautiful, delicious and creative effort. We had a wonderful time yesterday seeing everybody for Thanksgiving at her Mom's house. For me it was very, very special because I hadn't seen any of my darling in-laws since last May because of my injury.

The first person to greet us was Chris, Nancy's husband! It was so nice to see him smiling because we knew what horrendous damage happened to the beloved home that he lives in with Nancy and one of their daughters (Sarah). Then we saw Sarah and Nancy and it was so good to see them all looking so strong and cheery despite their troubles. Jesse, Nancy and Chris' other daughter, was there with her mate Pete and again we were glad to see them enjoying themselves despite the troubles.

It also was great to see Mom, Joanne, Jack, Stephanie, Ann, Stan, Nick, and Steven. All the beloved faces I had not seen for so long. We had quite the usual scrumptious feast and lots and lots of love and laughter throughout the whole day. Poor Jack got a stomach problem and so he missed the meal.

Before we ate, Nancy thanked everybody and said she felt very blessed to have a place to stay and she was grateful for all the help and prayers from people. And she also said she was grateful for her handy husband who has been working day and night to restore their home. Wiping tears from my eyes, I said to Jimmy: "Well after THAT, we can't complain about anything."

Here's the thing with my in-laws. They are a very close-knit and resilient family. They are affectionate, caring, and conscientious. They embrace everyone into their loving circle. I have been both blessed and deeply inspired by them. I admire their deep roots and strength. The lessons they teach are not intellectual or political—they are lessons of the heart and they are the most important ones worth learning.