The Gang's All Here

Tonight the fun really began. My family has been arriving in waves since last Thursday, culminating in my mother's arrival tonight after a long flight from France to Cincinnati. When families are splintered from divorce, it's impossible to ever say that the entire family is all together, but tonight felt that way. Tonight we felt complete because it was the first night in two years that my mother was under the same roof as her three daughters and all her grandchildren.

Just being able to wrap my arms around my sisters and my mom filled me with warmth. No phones. No Skyping. No email. No texting. No oceans or time zones separating us. It was a good feeling.

The kids were happy too. Our tradition is to wait until everyone has arrived to decorate our tree. It often sits for close to two weeks, a tall green unadorned tease. Finally tonight they let loose, running to my mom to hear her stories of the ornaments their mothers used to play with as children and then reverently placing them on the tree.

The gang is finally all here. Let the festivities begin.