A Cord of Three Strands is not Easily Broken

It has been a few too many days since my last post.  For those who enjoy my posts, sorry about the delay!  We had a very full weekend starting with Sadie and I and the stomach flu.  'Nuf said! 

By Saturday I was happy to be well enough to attend the ladies Wiebe Family gathering.  This is Mike's mom's side of the family.  I was supposed to host but Auntie Phylis graciously filled in after hearing about my bout with the flu.  I was so looking forward to the event.  It was such a very special day filled with lots of tears and laughter and some really good memories. 

First of all, Kristy was in town, Mike's sister, who is beautifully 7 months pregnant.  We had planned the end of the gathering to be a surprise shower for her.

I couldn't really decorate the house for her part of the day so I made this sign instead.  On the other side it said Connecting the Generations and we had her flip it before we went to have some food to surprise her!  It was so fun to bless her with some essentials as she prepares for motherhood!

And, of course, what baby shower is complete without some diaper pin carrot cupcakes!  What a simple way to make it festive.  I found the diaper pins at Walmart for $1.37 a pack and it dressed up these cupcakes perfectly.

But now to the wonderfully tender and meaningful part of the day.  Mike's Auntie Laura is a beautiful woman who has shown us all how to live life fully in the face of death.  She has been living with cancer for over a year and is now in the final stages, though you would never know it.  She looks beautiful and strong and healthy.  She has made a memory book for her children about the history of the Wiebe family including stories and pictures.  That afternoon she shared out of the book some those stories.  It was a time of passing on to the next generation where we have come from as a family. 

I had been praying about the day and if there was something significant that we could do together.  I felt like the Lord gave me the scripture verse Ecc. 4:9-12 "Two are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed.  If one person falls, the other can reach out and help.  But someone who falls alone is in real trouble.  Likewise, two people lying close together can keep each other warm.  But how can one be warm alone?  A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer.  Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken."

I bought three cords of different colours to symbolize the three generations - Mike's mom and their generation, our generation, and the generation to come.  I asked Linda, my mother-in-law, Leah, my cousin and Kristy (to represent the generations in the belly and to come) to give the cords to Laura.  I then asked Laura to tie the knot.  She has definitely been the one holding us together. She has always made sure that we get together as a family.  Then we passed the cords around the circle and everyone took a turn braiding it. 

Laura finished it off and tied it.  It was a beautiful symbol for our family.  It was, for me, an acknowledging of the past, a celebration of the present and pledge to prepare for the future generations.  It says that we are woven together and that we will continue to be because we are family.  It reminded us that family is the most import thing and worth working at and fighting for.   

Another cool thing about our family is this picture.  Here are the lovely ladies.  Sophie, who is Al's wife,  Phylis, who is Dave Wiebe's wife.  Then there's Linda, my mother-in-law and an original Wiebe and Auntie Laura, another original Wiebe.  The beauty of this picture is that Linda and Laura's sister Irma passed away a few years ago and she made sure that everyone especially her sisters know that she wanted Al to re-marry.  Not too long ago, he married Sophie.  Sophie now comes to our Wiebe gatherings and has been accepted as a 'Wiebe' herself.  It's so precious to me that family can change and grow and be empowered and given life in difficult times.  Sophie is the fruit of that, Laura is the fruit of that.  I think we all are. 

I know this blog is particularly personal so I hope that my Wiebe cousins and Auntie's are alright with my sharing so generously.  Such tender moments can be taken and held tightly or can be held out for others to receive their treasures as well.