Family

MY WHOLE FAMILY

            On our walk this morning along the Mystic River, we passed these new springtime families of geese,

and it got me thinking, for a moment, about my extended family in St. Louis, New York, and Florida. Sometimes I feel far away from them, but at those times I try to remember that my whole family – my endless family, actually – is always with me. The Salsich family is just a small part of my real family. I belong to the universe, not just the Salsichs. Among my many brothers and sisters are the stars and seas and rivers and white chairs on porches and pine trees and tables in living rooms – all the things made from the brother and sister atoms formed by the Big Bang some 15 billion years ago. Al and Pete and Joe and Mike are my brothers, but so are all the living things that share this earth’s atmosphere. Barbara and Maysie and Cat are my sisters, but so are the birds that breathe in and breathe out in our backyard, and so is the new green grass growing in our yard where the trellis used to be. Yes, some in my human family seem many miles away, but fortunately for me, they and this morning’s geese- as part of my whole, undivided, and never-ending family – are actually forever with me.

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FAMILY FRIENDSHIP

 
One day, ballet and family met with us
in a Boston theater. Aaron and I
and Delycia watched the dancers fly
around the stage with grace and sureness,
 
and then this happy, grateful mom and son
went walking, while I sipped some coffee and
reflected on my lucky life. A grand,
good day it was, with family, ballet, and fun.