Any opportunity to bring people together is one worth celebrating. After graduating from Harvard Law (with honours!!), my cousin/brother from another mother, Chris, and longtime galpal, Thuy Dan, finally tied the knot after almost 10 years together. Though we gathered in celebration for the union of the two, the weekend also allowed for a heartwarming celebration of our families in more ways than one.
The weekend began with a Sun Family fam breakfast reunion, which quickly turned into excited preparations for the serious suckling (debatable) piglet we were to bring over to the Dinh home. As our families met at the lovely Vietnamese tea ceremony, we were welcomed with a home cooked feast (including that sweet pig), not to mention accompanied by the lovely flower arrangements done by Dan's sister, Thao.
As generations progress, and our families disperse all over the world, these moments serve as reminders and opportunities to bring us back to our roots--something in which we grounded. We often (at least I would) long to be closer to the ones I love geographically, but have found that in being away in home, the bonds I have with those I care for only deepen with time. Perhaps this is another example of 缘分 (yuan fen), or because we find different ways to communicate when not present. Either way, I dig it.
When we remember that we are really more alike than we are different, we are able to open our hearts and create unexpected bonds with one another. Love is a language understood by all, and smiling is the only universally understood sign across all cultures. I wish you all to have love in your lives as I so fortunately have in mine.