Expressions of Kinship

An invitation, an announcement, a handful of thank-yous, and a handwritten prayer are all expressions of kinship.

In my little pile of notes on my desk is an invitation from a friend to participate in her baptism. A postcard arrived from Harry Potter World announcing that a bride we love has been “knocked up.” A thank-you card from some students, including one who wrote that she has finally come to believe she is perfectly perfect. And then there's Wes, a painter, not a writer, who dropped off the most beautiful landscape on our front doorstep. It says more than 1000 words.

Of all of them, my favorite is Lennon’s card. She tells me she loves me, her brother, and her new baby brother. She asked me to help her spell “bedside” because that’s where she wants me to keep her card.

You don’t have to write a note or create a painting for kinship to flourish.

But there is a mutuality in kinship, a bond between two people that carries intrinsic, perhaps even transcendent, meaning.

Maybe it looks like a note inviting a friend to coffee. Or a message announcing a new dream, the letting go of an old one, or gratitude for someone who showed up and waited with grace.

Or, for those who are feeling especially daring, a love letter, a reminder to a family member or friend that they mean the world to you, and why they do.

Who wouldn't want to receive something like that? Better yet, who might need to receive something like that from you today?

Celebrate kinship!