An Incredible Heritage

Last month I traveled to the funeral of my aunt, the wife of one of my mother's brothers. I knew before I went that it would be a special time of coming together with family that I had not seen in years. But little did I know just what an impact it would have on me. My mother was one of 8 children, the second youngest and second daughter. At the funeral she was able to be in the same room as her sister(the oldest remaining sibling who will be turning 90 years old this May) and 3 of her brothers(unfortunately the youngest wasn't able to make it)

I was so thankful to be there both for my parents and for my Uncle Otto who had just lost the love of his life(they had been married for almost 63 years!) He is a gentle, kind soul who reminded me so much of my grandfather who has been gone for 33 years already.

It was touching to see the special care of each of the siblings for my uncle. This picture brings tears to my eyes as I think of my aunt talking to her younger brother about his loss. She and her husband celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary this past year!!! How amazing is that?

And these two sisters....what joy there is in just being together!! As I have reflected since I got home on this family I am so thankful for an incredible heritage of faith and family.  My mother was only five years old when they lost their home for the first time and left Romania for first Germany and later Poland. After the war they had to flee for their lives again and lost so much! Thankfully only one brother was a casualty of the war and many times I heard my grandmother tell the story of how first one son, and then the next, and the next, and the next, and then her husband and finally her son-in-law were all reunited after the war.

At the funeral one of my uncles reflected on the godly heritage that my grandparents had imparted on their family. God was truly their Shepherd and He had led them through war and peace before they settled here in Canada as immigrants in 1951. Even while we sat at the kitchen table at my aunt's she commented several times how blessed we all were to be living here in Canada where God had given us so very much!

And I have to agree! I have an incredible heritage and I was blessed to have a small reminder of that in the days I spent together with my aging uncles and aunts. The oldest will be 93 and at 75 my mother is the youngest! But oh what a blessed time it was....