“Families are like fudge — mostly sweet with a few nuts.” — Unknown
Family Day, a special day off for certain provinces took place this past Monday, February 19. I’m hoping that parents will have taken the time to have had some quality time with their kids, grandkids, or family in general. I think that this was the premise of providing a special day off so individuals could connect to and appreciate their loved ones.
On the third Monday of every February, Family Day is celebrated in the provinces that observe this special day: New Brunswick, Alberta, Ontario, Saskatchewan and British Columbia. Although Family Day isn’t a statutory holiday across the country, it was first observed in 1990 in Alberta to recognize the importance of home and family to the founding pioneers.
The Oxford dictionary defines a traditional ‘family’ as “a group of one or more parents and their children living together as a unit” and “all the descendants of a common ancestor.”
The Mirriam-Webster dictionary expounds on the meaning by saying, [The word family] “is highly subjective…and has shifted its meaning considerably since it entered our language, currently contains many different senses, and in at least one of these senses may signify different things to different people. In modern use family may refer to one of a number of different groups of people or things collectively. Family is often encountered in legal use, but even within the jargon of the law it is not restricted to a single meaning. In many legal contexts family denotes “individuals related by blood, marriage, or adoption,” but in others the definition may be somewhat broader, encompassing groups of individuals not related by these things.”
Although family may not be those joined by blood, marriage or adoption, it ultimately is those who love you.
Although our children and their families do not live close enough to celebrate together specifically on this special day most years, this year by our good fortune, one of our sons is making a pilgrimage ‘home’ for a week. For Rob and I, family is of the utmost importance and we try and connect regularly with our immediate family via all means available – Facetime/texting/phone calls or whatever, as well as keeping in close contact with my 90 year old dad and siblings and their families, and the list goes on and on.
I love people, especially ‘my’ people. They know me and still love me! The unconditional love we receive from family creates the foundation of our life's deepest and most meaningful relationships. Therefore, they are #1 in my books.
And how do I love on them? The quickest way I know how is through their stomachs, and that’s the truth. I love to dote on them with great meals, good communication and lots of joy and laughter. I can’t forget, hugs too. Somehow love exudes out and I can’t hold it back.
I thank God, He made me just who I am, and He made you special too. Celebrate family!
“Families are the compass that guides us. They are the inspiration to reach great heights, and our comfort when we occasionally falter.” — Brad Henry
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the position of this publication.
