My great-grandmother lived in Wilson, Pennsylvania for over thirty years. I would go over to her house every Thursday night for dinner. My second cousins, Robin and Stephanie would also come visits often, although they lived much farther away. My great-grandmother passed away almost two years ago. Through her, my family became very close to Robin and Stephanie, my dad’s cousins. Their father also passed away a number of years ago.
This past weekend, I attended Robin’s wedding. My dad was asked to officiate the wedding and my younger brother, Cooper, was asked to be the ring bearer. Because they were a part of the wedding party, my family was invited to the rehearsal dinner. I was very excited to meet Robin’s family at this dinner. When we arrived, everyone was so welcoming. Hugs came from everyone as did many great conversations. Most of her family is international, living in France, Holland, Germany, and Vietnam. Her mother, my Aunt Jane, is one of seven siblings so there were a lot of families anxious to meet us.
Along with all the hugs and kisses, there were also tears. My family represented my Uncle Bill to most people there. My Aunt Jane kept telling all of us how much it meant to her that we were there. The night of the wedding, my grandfather, Uncle Bill’s brother, was there. When people who knew Uncle Bill saw my grandfather, they immediately burst into tears. Everyone said how much they looked alike. Stephanie and Robin shared a long, long hug with him after the ceremony, all three of them crying. Everyone missed Uncle Bill so much and had nothing but kind words to say about him and us for that matter.
I never really realized what we meant to Robin and Stephanie. I always thought of them as my older sisters I never saw. And they thought of me, of us, as their link to their father. That makes my connection to them so much stronger. Throughout the wedding festivities, a common phrase that was used is "The Madson Genes." This means something special to me. I have never been prouder and more thankful for my family.
I loved this. It really sounded like this experience meant a lot to you. Frankly I am a bit envious, my family has never been close ever and after losing my grandmother whatever was left of the connection I had with my family drifted apart. I am so glad that your family came through that experience on the positive end as a closer family. It is never easy to lose a loved one, and it is always hard, but the best thing to do is to know that you are trying to live your best life in their memory and that seems to be exactly what you are doing. Your great grandmother would be so proud Katie.
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