The gift of family

One of the major reasons Mike and I moved to North Carolina was to get closer to Mike's family (and my own, if you count five fewer hours on a plane to France). And today was a little reward for making the big move. Mike's dad's birthday was today, and we went down to celebrate with Mike's parents, brother and sister-in-law, niece and nephew. There is something about watching the interactions of three generations at the table, conversations moving past one another, with no fewer than 12 different dishes served. Family isn't always a gift to everyone, but here in this space was something sacred. Old yarns told and re-told with new verve and new perspective, recipes shared and great past meals relived, and an abundance of food, all wove together the loose and sometimes frayed threads that we each bring to the fabric that is family.