THE TIES THAT BIND

I've got blisters on my feet from dancing.

That's always a good sign the party was a success.

In this case, the party was the celebration of my oldest son's wedding, who at 34 years old, is getting married for the first time.

His father and I, who had been married during an impetutous moment of youth and divorced two years later, were on hand to witness this event and give it our blessings. Dancing together the last dance of the evening, they took our pictures to remind us that had once danced like this before. We laughed together and became 19 again, and looking at the happy faces of all our children, neices & nephews surrounding us, we were the epitome of how to do it right when things go wrong.

"I wouldn't have changed a thing" he said simply and I agreed.

Our siblings, who had also known each other as children, gathered round and caught up with each other, their faces the same except alittle more lined and framed by gray hair. It was their children now who reminded us of how we looked, and as I danced with their young ladies, it was like I was doing the hustle with their mothers; it was 1972 all over again.

My son and his bride are gloriously happy, and I am so happy that we were able to stand in the same room together without conflict or worry.

We are all connected forever, whether we like it or not. Fortunately for all of us, we like it.