Happy Birthday, Kim!

When I drink from the well of family love I am refreshed, revived. My weekend excursion to Billings afforded me the opportunity to be with Mom and Kim, even if it was a few days before Kim’s birthday. I know of nothing that compares to the bond of family love and the renewing strength of reunion. The experience always helps me to better understand the old German proverb, “Blut ist dicker als Wasser” (blood is thicker than water). Kinship creates an environment of security and confidence that just can’t be found in any other relationships, no matter how good the friends may be. Family has that common experience of living and loving together that no casual friendship can ever emulate. A lot has happened in the fifty-five years that Kim and I have been brother and sister (I’m kind of pleased with myself for the clever way I divulged that statistic) and that can never be taken from us. I am well aware that none of this is automatic or inherent. We all know of families that don’t share the bond of love but instead suffer from estrangement and alienation. I am blessed to have a mother who not only believes in family, but who practices and promotes it. The world could not help but be a better place if every family celebrated the unconditional love that can be found there.