Brothers and Sisters.

It was a significant moment, the six of us standing alone in a room with our Mom.  The realization of the rarity of the event hit each of us.  In our 41 year history as a six sibling family, it has only been a handful of times that it was only the six of us.  To have our Mother there, as we were celebrating her 75th, made it all the more powerful.  We've been together lots of times with our glorious and growing tree of progeny and spouses, but only rarer than a Blue Moon (wink) have we found a poignant moment alone.  We looked at each other, proud, humbled, joyful, grateful, taking a moment to crack wise and wipe away some tears.  We basked in the wondrous love of our Mother and she beamed with pride for her children.  She did have a significant, private message, but for me the moment was something even greater.  As the youngest of six, I have had a unique and privileged view of this family.  I grew up in awe of my siblings.  They have provided me with so much more than I could ever repay: courage, encouragement, play mates, laughter, financial assistance, ethics, competition, parental lessons, parenting, wisdom, joy...so much joy and pride.  As I have grown into an, ahem, adult I have quietly become an equal part in this great group of my personal heroes.  I feel like I have crashed a party for VIP's I wasn't invited to and they decided to let me stay.

Standing there in that moment, those feelings of awe became even bigger.  More than being in awe of my individual siblings, I was now in awe of the group we are.  We are close, indescribably so.  Each of us brings something different to group and the interpersonal individual relationships are fascinatingly varied and complicated.  Three of us together yields something cohesive, no matter what the line-up or dynamic is.  Two of us together, no matter the two, is something significant as well.  Five of us together is really hard.  Fun will be had, but there is a powerful longing for the absent sibling.  Six, Six is glorious.  And last night I got a glimpse of why it works.

The reason it works, is not surprisingly because of our parents.  Now kids will always find a reason to resent their parents, that's just the way it works.  And, well, our parents gave us plenty of opportunities in this category as well.  But it is the environment of love and forgiveness my parents have fostered that makes it possible for us all to work through our own mistakes and their's and move these missteps into the category of comedic material.  Whatever our parents have done, they have never failed to provide Love in ridiculous amounts.  For that, we and everyone in our lives are blessed.  I have now realized that I have given my Mother insufficient credit for how much I love my brother and sisters.  It is her love that makes that love possible.  And it is her patient and unwavering love that has always pointed to Christ.  That's amazing.  What sits underneath it all, at the foundation is Linda Jean's Grateful spirit.  She is always proclaiming her blessings, no matter what is happening in her life.  She can get overwhelmed by life, but never ceases to be thankful.  It's no wonder that I always think of her when I hear the lyrics, "Count your blessings, count them one by one.  Count your blessing, see what God has done."

Each of my siblings and I have a slightly different approach to our Faith, expressing it differently and with slight variations in our beliefs.  However, I believe all of us put Jesus Christ at the center of our lives and we know that God is Good and has provided us with all we need.  We are all likely to say that we are blessed in extraordinary ways.  I hope this means I have been as grateful as my Mother has modeled to me.  Her diligence and hard work have been multiplied because, more than anything, she is thankful and gives due Glory to God.

That moment was a powerful one.  We stood, the Seven of us, in that hotel room while an impatient throng of Grandkids, Great Grandkids, Spouses, etc. waited for us to come back.  We lingered, soaking up our special bond just a bit longer than we should have.  I wish I could explain what it's like to be in this family, with these amazing people, but then again I'm kind of glad that I can't.  It's a thing meant for just 6 to understand completely.  But hopefully that also means that everyone around us gets to enjoy the bond as well, contributing and making stronger as each soul gets added to the party, by birth or by grace.  It's not perfect, not by a long shot.  We have all failed each other in one way or another, but perfection is not the point or the goal.  Love, love is what it is all about.  I pray our love for each other reflects God's perfect Love.  In his perfect love is not only forgiveness, but salvation.

1 John 4

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11 Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.

13 This is how we know that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit. 14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. 15 If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God,God lives in them and they in God. 16 And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.

God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. 17 This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. 18 There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

19 We love because he first loved us. 20 Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. 21 And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.