A Rare Family Reunion



Me with Mary and Gerry



Last Friday my mom's remaining family got together - and considering the great distances that they had to travel, it was a great occasion worthy of celebration. My mother's brother Gerry and his wife Mary drove up from Halifax, my mother's sister Marielle and my cousins Johanne and Raymond flew up from Texas, and met up with my Aunt Suzanne who lives in Sherbrooke.  My sister Louise in her wonderful style prepared a celebration to commemorate my Aunt Mary and Uncle Gerry's 50th wedding anniversary. My Aunt Suzanne wrote a song and which we all sang (many times) and my mother's cousin Florent and his wife Ingrid also joined in the celebration. My second cousin is a retired opera singer who spent a lifetime singing on the stage, mostly in Europe. It's always lovely to hear him sing.   All in all, it was worth the Friday afternoon rush from Valleyfield to Sherbrooke. Who knows if we will see these aunts and this uncle together again - they are all close to and around 80 years old and they live very far apart! I felt my mother's absence acutely, I think we all did - after all, we would have celebrated her birthday this past weekend. We all lifted a glass of  wine in her honour - and if she was looking down, I am sure that she was all smiles.  Happy Birthday mom!

My dad and my aunt Marielle

I hadn't seen my cousin Johanne in over 20 years! Apart from the greying hair, she looked the same! I would have recognised her on a busy street anytime.

My cousin Johanne