In Others’ Words: The Everything of Family

Beth Vogtfamily, In Others' Words, Quotes 4 Comments

There’s nothing quite like family rallying together in a crisis.

Yesterday, my family rallied round my almost 99-year-old mother-in-law after she fell in her bathroom and ended up being taken to the emergency room via ambulance — she said the trip wasn’t bad — and then spent the day getting x-rayed and scanned.

But they also rallied around one another in a time of concern … a time of “we don’t know what’s going to happen, but we’ll get through this together.”

I had a three-way conversation going via text with my husband, who was in Seattle visiting our son, and our two oldest daughters, thanks to my husband texting them. While I drove to the hospital ahead of the ambulance, my daughters’ “Do you want us to come?” texts quickly turned to “We’re on our way” messages, complete with offers to pick up food or drinks — whatever was needed. They ignored my “I’m okay” replies and met me at the ER waiting room because, well, that’s what family does at times like these: you rally round and help one another. You don’t wait to be asked … you show up. 

My two daughters were the ones to say we needed to call their younger sister, who was in school. No, she couldn’t do anything right then, but she deserved to be in the loop. And after school she chose to show up, too, and spend some time with her grandmother. Now that the my mother-in-law is home — broken ribs, but no broken hip or shoulder — my son is planning a phone call. And my two sons-in-love were available all day, too.

Was today hard? Yes — mostly for my mother-in-law. But she knows her family loves her no matter what.

Family trumps everything … and you show up when someone is hurting. 

In Your Words: When have you seen the truth that “Family is Everything” lived out?

[ctt template=”8″ link=”X15_2″ via=”yes” ]In Others\’ Words: The Everything of Family http://wp.me/p63waO-2pN #quotes #family [/ctt] [ctt template=”8″ link=”D4X13″ via=”yes” ]\”Family is not an important thing. It\’s everything.\” http://wp.me/p63waO-2pN #quotes #family [/ctt]

 

 

 

Comments 4

    1. Post
      Author

      Andrew,
      I understand. There are different “rings” of family, if you will, and I carefully defined who my family was that rallied tonight.
      And yes, others can become family to us, too.

  1. I’m sorry you all went through this, especially with Rob away, but the rallying responses warm my heart. This is ideally what family should be. Most are noit quite as fully there. Blessings to all of you and glad the outcome was survivable.

    1. Post
      Author

      Dee: As I wrote this, I knew that not all families rally. Not all families are safe places. But sometimes we make new families of our own. Or friends become family … and then the rallying begins. The safety arrives. And it’s beautiful. 🙂

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