Defining Family

When I was young, my family was my mom and dad, two sets of grandparents, two sets of aunts and uncles, and five cousins—the people who were related to me either by blood or by marriage. Along the way, I added step-parents, a husband, his family, and children of my own. As time when on, I lost a few, including all of my grandparents and, after some deeply painful untangling, my husband, too. Each one had a role in creating me and shaping me into who I am today.

But the older I get, the broader my definition of family becomes. Here's what I know now about my family: It is so much larger than I ever imagined. Over the past 48 years, God has been weaving a beautiful tapestry with the people who have come into my life—each one leaving behind a unique thread in the fabric of my life.



We're not perfect, but we're faltering forward together, sometimes two steps forward and one step back, but onward nonetheless. We fall down, but we get back up, over and over again.

We don't have all the answers, but we're looking with inquiring minds and discerning hearts. We realize that doubt is part of faith and certainty stagnates growth.

We're broken, and we leak, but we gather together to fill ourselves back up so we can share more and more from our cups.

We tell our stories time and time again because in the telling we discover we aren't alone. God is revealed in the mysterious interweaving of our journeys.

My tribe, my clan, my gang, my coven ... my family