Family

We all have moments were we feel utterly alone in our oddities.

The absolute best remedy is to go back to where it all began: the gene pool.

The second day of our raucous cabin getaway, we were joined by a few of the old folks. My dad made it down the steps without any disaster, much to our relief. Uncle Johnny, Tante Tina and mom (Tante Nita to some) were young and spry by comparison.

Cousin Grace joined us from Hamilton, citing some pressing need to be with family. Her colleagues and students would have to carry on without her.

Who knew we shared anything? Not me.

But over wine and hysterical laughter, we learned things that defined us as having sprung from the same soil. We share quirks and fears, oddities and exhuberances. The time went by too quickly.

The quiet of the cabin gave room for some of the nausea in our stomachs to spill from our eyes. There was space to voice the unspeakable grief for Ken's daughters. There was oppurtunity to compare stories of our childhoods, and hold up our perceived realities to those who also walked similar paths. There was just enough time to recognize some character similarities that must have come from our shared genetics.

Perhaps the shared reality of our recent losses made the time together even more precious. Too young for so many funerals, we have however met over cold and still... brother....cousin... and auntie. We stand a little closer now, sheilding one another from the chilling winds. There is no way to imagine what the next four seasons will bring us. But they will find us square shouldered, standing together strong amidst the change.