Comfort and joy

A lot of the time I feel a little tepid about facebook.  There are people I regret ever friending.  (I regret that friending is a word because that's weird.)  At times I see things about people I didn't want to know.  If I ever post something there--which is rare--I feel squeamish like that was awfully forward of me.  I have no problem pouring out my narcissism on my blog but not on facebook.  I don't have to always make sense, OK?

Sometimes though, facebook really delivers.

My cousin Dixie got married recently.  I would have loved to have gone.  I love my cousins (almost without exception) and I enjoy myself any time I'm around them.  I was happy to be able to look through the pictures Dixie posted on facebook of her happy day.  I loved seeing the joy reflected on her face and her groom's face and on the faces of her lovely sisters and brother.  It was downright heartwarming.

Then I saw these two pictures. (And I stole them because the internet turns me into a kleptomaniac at times.)

Pictured here are my uncle Joe, my dad, my mom, my uncle Drew and my aunt Pam.  From my earliest memories my parents would sit around with my aunts and uncles at family gatherings and there was a constant hum of witty dialog, punctuated occasionally by erupting laughter.  Seeing these pictures made me unreasonably happy.  I love seeing these people together.  I love seeing them enjoy each other.  I love seeing them laugh together.

I read one time that the safest a child can feel is when they are between their parents.  Maybe the second safest a child can feel is when they see their parents sitting around with their aunts and uncles, talking and laughing and reassuring you that all is right with the world.

It is certainly true in my case.