Patty Mayeux Blog

At a recent memorial service, I was struck by the number of people who counted the departed as one of their extended family. The pews were not filled with blood relatives, but with loving friends who gathered to celebrate her life and what she had meant to them. My dictionary app describes family as members of a group who are blood-related or descended from the same ancestor, or members living together to form a family. But it also allows that a group of related things is a family. I’m not sure the adage about blood being thicker than water, although physically true, holds up when we consider those most important in our world. Who resides in your circle of concern, those you care for and care for you? Regardless of blood type or blood line, count them all as blessings. The family that gathered to celebrate a beloved’s life is a diverse group of people who share a love for all others, who believe in God’s love and mercy extended to all, regardless of markers used by this world to divide us from them. That top-down love is a strong bond, thicker than blood. I’m thankful for all groups that I consider family, by any definition.