Sue Nagy

My son recently suggested I write about family, a subject close to my heart. When I think of family, I think of everyone who has ever walked through my front door, whether on two legs or four. Sometimes, I’m not even sure which ones I love more — the people or the dogs!

But my biological family — my children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren — each hold a piece of my heart. I’m so lucky my children were smart enough to choose partners I could easily love. I’ve long stopped thinking of them as “in-laws.” They are just my family.

And what a family it is! We’re like the United Nations under one roof. My children married partners who are African American, Italian, Japanese, Lebanese, and Southern American. My grandchildren have expanded the family even more, bringing in Jamaican, Mexican, and English heritage. I often joke that I’m just waiting for a great-grandchild to marry a Martian. We have so much fun, and I know that no matter what, if I ever needed help, my family would be there in a heartbeat.

Today, my son John is coming over to help me can pickles. How many sons would do that? (Of course, he eats as many as he cans, so he’s a true “pickle head.”) It reminds me of my own mother canning pickles, and now it’s a tradition that has been passed down to my son and even my granddaughter, who is up north learning how to do it. It’s wonderful to see these generations carry on.

I pray that my children and grandchildren can do more than just can pickles. I hope they can handle the difficult world we are leaving them. I was so sure that by now, love and peace would have won out after we marched for it in the 1960s. I was certain the world would be at peace when I got older.

So please, let’s bring peace and love into our hearts and homes. Let go of any anger you might be holding on to. We are one family, and I love you all.