Part of the Family

My feet are sore today. They are sore because I was at a wedding, dancing up a storm last night! The wedding was for the son of a family that I am very close with. This family is absolutely amazing - the hospitality and caring they have shown to me during my stay in Baltimore has been so warm and loving. I have learned so much from them - what good middos are all about, what it means to have Ahavas Yisroel, what family really means - and they do it all in a quiet, understated way without drawing attention to themselves. I am incredibly fortunate to have them in my lives, and I am going to miss them terribly when I leave Baltimore. They "adopted" me from the beginning, their table has always had a place set for me on Shabbos and Yom Tov, I have always been included on Thanksgiving and other legal holidays, and the emotional and moral support they have given me has gone beyond anything you can imagine. They are just an incredibly special family, with so much love that they share with those around them. It has been a difficult year for them, one in which they were given many extremely difficult challenges, and what I have seen come from them was an important lesson. Through their trying times they bonded to each other, grew immeasurably and opened themselves even more. Through these hard times, I was still always welcome in their home with open arms. My respect for them has just grown. So it was with such pleasure to share in their simcha this past weekend, and especially tonight. I did everything I could to help out, and at every step of the way, they made sure to take the opportunity to express their appreciation. It was just the tiny thing I could do to repay them for everything they have given me over the years. I really felt part of the family this past weekend. I spent the weekend with their family, I was seated at a table with the cousins (many of whom I had met before), and thought it funny when the comment was made that I see this family more than the cousins do, or even more than I see my own family. I was especially touched when, during his speech at one of the Shabbos auf ruf meals, the chosson included me and said I was like an additional sister to him, and thanked me for everything I had done during the weekend. I have a lot of brothers already, but it feels wonderful to have one more. It was so great to attend this wedding and really celebrate a special occasion with this family. They have brought me in and made me a part of them, always caring for me. You can always use more family, especially when they are so special.