Showered with love

My sister in-law Cary throws such great parties that she and her husband Steve built a house to host them.

Elegantly designed and pastorally set, their home has become the hearth for our far-flung extended family.

Sunday, Cary hosted a family wedding shower for my son Vinnie and his fiance Danni, who will be married in October, and the event included everything upon which a young couple can build a meaningful life.

Love whooshed in from all directions — from North Dakota, Chicago, Minneapolis, Los Angeles, New York, Sun Prairie, Appleton and Washington D.C. — and made itself comfortable on the pages of a recipe book Cary put together with submissions she solicited from family members.

Laughter bubbled up like champagne in a mimosa and energized us all as we spent the afternoon savoring that joyful pre-wedding combination of memories and plans.

Kindness overrode a natural competitive drive (though there was some table shuffleboard taunting that, let’s face it, came with the territory).

We celebrated a legacy of family that stretched back through generations, from coal mines and dairies to artist studios and classrooms, and we toasted the coming union of two beautiful people who already are so well loved.

Gratitude for moments, and sweet young souls, and generous hosts, and ambitious travelers, and delicious food, and continued (knock wood!) good health for everyone transcended the room and reached both back in time to everyone who made this day possible, and forward to a future bright with possibilities.