With love, to all of mine
Some weeks have Mother’s Day.
That brings a soft sad smile to The Legal Genealogist‘s face, as it has been years since I have had a living maternal forebear to celebrate with.
And some weeks have Father’s Day.
And that’s got the same issue — no living paternal forebears either.
But this week?
This week had National Siblings Day.
And boy does The Legal Genealogist have siblings.
Seven of ’em, to be exact.
And every last one of them a gem without whom my life wouldn’t be what it is today.1
We are doctors, lawyers, educators, scientists. We are computer geeks and retirees. We have served the United States in both civilian jobs and in the military. We are high school drop-outs and graduate degree holders (and two of us are both high school drop-outs and graduate degree holders). We have married, divorced and married again. We’ve produced more than a dozen children for the next generation and we’re just getting started with the grandchildren (we’re up to six, with number seven due this year, and that number is guaranteed to go way up…).
We are, in age order and left to right:
• Evan, a medical doctor in Indiana, father of Tim and Gina and grandfather of Martin;
• Diana, a Virginia retiree from a career that spanned everything from the U.S. Air Force to academia;
• Me, born in Colorado but still stuck in New Jersey and wondering how it is that I never managed to escape;
• Paul, our official Arizona space cadet, who has done some fabulous imaging work for the space program, father of Rudi, Max, Stefan and Katya, and grandfather of Jack;
• Kacy, a Virginia educator, mother of Ian, Hannah, Thomas and Rose, and grandmother of Isadora and her little sister who won’t make her appearance for another few months;
• Fred, a U.S. Army retiree and Virginia educator, father of Bobbi, and grandfather of Sydney, Phoenix and Addyson;
• Warren, a civil engineer and software educator, born in New Jersey and living in Colorado, leaving me wondering how he did escape; and
• Bill, a U.S. Marine Corps retiree, another Virginian, father of Dennis and Duncan.
I’ve said it before, but it’s worth repeating: There has never been a day in my life when I haven’t been loved fiercely. Never a day in my life when I haven’t loved fiercely back. Even when I bitterly disappointed these folks, and I have — oh, how I have, there has never been a day in my life when they haven’t closed ranks around me and protected my back.
I can’t imagine anything in my life that I might ever need that these folks wouldn’t band together to try to provide, and there isn’t anything I can imagine that I wouldn’t do for them.
Siblings.
I love ’em all.
NOTE
- You now officially know who to blame. ↩
Judy, what a beautiful family and so wonderful that it is growing so the memories will go on and on. Blessings to you all!
Louise
Thanks, Louise. I am so very fortunate.
What a bunch of scruffy-looking NERF herders ~~ WAIT a minute! I’M in that group! Er, ah, wonderful post, sis! Luv ya! ~~The Olde Batte
Ahahahahaha! Oh yeah… you’re in there too! Love YOU, sibling of mine!
Judy,
You all look like a bunch of “characters,” and a fun group to get to know! Thank you for sharing your family with us.
“Characters” is about the mildest word I’d use, Miriam!
I love this post! There’s nothing like siblings – no matter how far the distance between us we will always love each other and have memories that no one can take from us. Your family is beautiful!
Couldn’t agree more! Siblings are the best.
Judy,
Wonderful post! It actually brought tears to my eyes. Family is everything! I attend your lectures and webinars whenever possible and it is great seeing the relaxed side of you. The water in background of picture looks as if it could have been taken on my Lake in VA. Ha! Ha!
Thanks for sharing,
Roz
We’re together often enough in Virginia for that to BE a Virginia lake, Roz… but it’s in Indiana.
Judy,
I want to let you know that your wonderful blog post is listed in today’s Fab Finds post at http://janasgenealogyandfamilyhistory.blogspot.com/2014/04/follow-friday-fab-finds-for-april-18.html
Have a wonderful weekend!