That lovely moment when you discover a miracle

I come from a huge family. The youngest of nine, I grew up in a different decade than my siblings, and as I came to find out last fall, my political ideologies fall on the other side of almost every one of my relatives. These differences, along with a physical distance, can make me feel a bit disconnected at times.

After this past weekend, though, I wonder if I'll feel that way again. A wedding on Friday and casual gathering on Saturday were wonderful reminders that no matter what things may divide us, there are many, many things that unite us.

• We love God, and we have a strong faith that no matter what we face, we'll be brought through it safely. Best of all, every one of us know that we can count on the rest to pray for us whenever needed.

• We've all been raised by the same two great people, no matter what decade most of that rearing took place. That means we have similar values, even if our interpretations of those values differ a bit. Also, we can all laugh at the same parental quirks and be thankful for the blessing that they are.

• We love to eat. Yes, I place this high on the list of things that unite us, because, despite what the nutrition experts tell us, sometimes food is love!

• We laugh at the same jokes. We cry at the same life moments. (Well, the women do.) We can understand each other.

• Many of us love to read! We can talk about stories, pass along books, and only one of us gets harassed regularly about our reading techniques. (I can't help it...I'm often tempted to read the end before I get there!)

• I don't understand how it is possible, but I have eight siblings, all who married, and all together had 28 children, seven of whom are married. (Plus there are three great grandchildren now!) And I genuinely like every single one of these people. They are funny, attractive, talented people. I know I'm biased, but trust me: I'm right about this.

• On top of all these things, I know my family loves my kids. How lucky are my three to have all these great people to play with, to look up to, to pray for them, to cheer them on?

I've come to realize that a family like mine is one of God's great miracles. I'm thankful to be blessed with each and every member. May you discover the ways your family blesses your life.

A LOVELY MOMENT FROM SATURDAY: My 83-year-old father asked Isla, "Have you got a hug good-bye for me?" Isla's reply: "No...but I've got some kisses!" It gave both dad and I a laugh!