Who is sitting around your table?

There are certainly ties of blood that bind us. There are certainly ties of friendship that bind us. There are certainly ties of love that bind us. Who is to say which is stronger?

I've been extremely blessed over the course of my life to encounter wonderful people with whom I've had familial relationships. The first I can remember is Grandma Berry. I had Grandma Farnsworth (paternal), Grandma Triplett (maternal) and Grandma Berry. It's just how the world was. Grandma Berry had a huge berry farm (there's a story behind how she got the name), and we'd go see her a few times a year. She's my mom's best high school friend's mom.

When I was 12, my brother moved from Cheney, WA, to Canby. I didn't know it at the time, of course. We became brothers when we were 15, probably. More on Sean later. About that same time, I gained another set of parents, Paul and Carol Hawkins.

After Katrina and I married (how similar is this to a true, deep, and love-filled friendship?) I gained another set of parents and a brother through her. Then I gained a daughter, and then we found yet another grandma after we moved to California. Even though we've been gone for more years than we lived there, Grandma Joyce comes up for births and baptisms, and I meet with her whenever I can when I'm in the Bay Area for business.

Now that Aria is entering 4th grade, she has friends who come over often. They sit with our family for dinner, do scripture study with us, go to church with us, help clean the house when we're all cleaning the house. This is life at the Farnsworth's: if you are in our home, you're family. We love you, we'll take care of you, and you're always welcome.

What brought this line of thought on is a magical moment in our camping trip last weekend. Sean and his 2 boys, Aria, Christian, and I hiked a few miles into Marion Lake. Just as it was when we were teens, Sean and I rarely have anything to figure out. When we're together, our kids are shared, food is shared, frisbees, equipment, time, everything is shared. It's so natural and easy that I don't have to even think about stepping on toes. The kids understand and catch it. On our way home, we stopped at Al's for dinner (Mill City - highly recommended). There were 6 chairs around the table. Clockwise, it was me, Sean, Aria, Djeryd, Christian, Eric. Our families were perfectly blended, every other person a Hawkins or a Farnsworth. Everyone was happy, making jokes and being together.

And nobody even noticed that it might be odd. This is who we were: a loving family. I'd do anything for those kids. And Sean would, too. And they'd all help each other equally.

Who is at your table? And how are they joined to you? Blood? Love? Friendship? Can you decide which are more important?