a wonderful family, met again

 I exult in family

place and event can be grounding,

a return to a foundation from which our lives spiral out,

family can be a foundation like that.

if we can own that connection,

when our individual paths spin away from the center, 

and from each other,

we can find again where we are connected

and again touch each other

as we share stories, beginnings,

a feeling of a larger self that holds us like a parent,

there can be commonality of blood, of names,

of the joining of connections of choice,

often I exult in family who have chosen to marry into the family,

and in those adopted who share the self,

at least as much as they who share the blood,

the last few days I have exulted in the sharing

with wife, son, granddaughter,

and the families created by nieces and nephew,

the family of my eldest brother,

who is gone now for years except in our memories

and in his creative touch upon his children

and in their touch upon their children,

we reach to the future with our lives,

I exult with hope for those generations

with whom we share family, meal,

with whom we play in the clear river up in the park, 

 and watch bears who visit,

as parents we always want to be outshone by the next generation,

that hope shines bright in the wonderful family we meet again

and who amaze us with who they are.

by Henry H. Walker

June 12, ‘22