Old Family / New Family / New Beginnings and I got my first daughter in law!!!

This has been a world wind kind of week. My ex husband, my daughter and I flew out to California to celebrate his marriage to a wonderful woman. Monica has two great sisters who helped coordinate the wedding in California because Eric and Monica live in Japan. As I see it, the sisters kept in close contact with my new and only daughter in law so that they could fulfill her desires to have the wedding that she wanted and deserved. People came from all over: Japan, Arizona, Washington, New York, Chicago and more. Monica's family and friends all gathered together as one to give her what she wanted. It was so nice to see the bond everyone has to fulfill this goal.

Monica's mother and father welcomed everyone into their house with open arms. They were the best! Yuko (Monica's mother) was an inspiring person. She asked me if I would like to cook some traditional Japanese food with her and I jumped at that opportunity! The whole experience of watching her family of origin come together to make the festivities happen was a great experience for me. The bond between Monica's friends and her family was very strong and made this wedding happen. Her's friend's support and effort made Monica's wedding just as she wanted it.

She has a lot of wisdom and shared some with me. I think because she grew up in another culture, the wisdom she has to share with other women (probably American women) is what we American women need. I have been struggling with some family relationships in my life and I never mentioned them to Yuko, either she picked up on them or the word got out. Either way is fine. She came to pick me up one day at my hotel and we talked about how wonderful each other's children are and she shared a few of her experiences and used words like keeping it harmonious and having to learn how to do that as the mother of the family. I don't remember all the words she used but they were definitely powerful words. I think she is an inspiration to all women of all ages! Yuko has a lot to offer aging women. If I ever get myself together to do the Documentary about women aging and changing roles, she will definitely be part of it I want to become closer to her and her wisdom.

Lately, I have been struggling with what to do with my life and that there are two components to my professional background: children and families. Hearing Yuko's wisdom and being sick of my teaching teachers where I feel it wont make a difference to the children of my community has made me want to move the something with working with families. I would like my focus to be changing roles of women in families. Makes sense because that is where I am in life!

So back to the lovely wedding: Monica wanted it to be a bright and colorful wedding and she got that! It was the best wedding I had been to in a long time. They wrote there own vows to each other which just brought tears to my eyes, the best man gave a speech that brought more happy tears to everyone's eyes and everything was just great fun! It was truely a celebration of love and happiness!!!

Welcome to my family: Monica Firestone. Beware: You made my family fall in love with you too!
Congratulations Eric and Monica!!!


Now for pics: