Italian for an afternoon

I went to a family reunion today. No, it wasn't my family.

I met an elderly neighbor a couple years ago through the church shut in visitation I was doing. Since she was not available on the day we would go visiting, I just ended up visiting her on my own. She's a sweet 90 year old lady who is lonely and can't get out any more. I've been visiting her every so often and keeping in touch with cards and such. I met her Italian husband and would greet him if he was home when I visited, but I never really visited with him.

In November, I got a call from their housekeeper asking me to call our pastor to go see him because he was in the hospital. I called and had to leave the pastor a message. I was concerned that maybe he wouldn't get my message, so I ran out to the hospital myself. Another friend of his and his wife were there, so I didn't really get to chat with him much. The 3 of us visited with him for quite awhile, and it seemed like I should leave once that couple said they were leaving. Before I left, I asked him if he would mind if I prayed for him. I just said a short prayer with him and hugged him, and he was so moved! It made me glad I had taken time out from studying for a midterm to go over and see him.

A month later when he was home and recovering, I got a call from his housekeeper inviting me to come over for cookies and eggnog with some other friends of his. I met some of his other friends and hung out with them for a couple hours. His niece was there, and told all of us about a family reunion that she was organizing for him. She told all of us to expect invitation, but I wasn't sure if she meant me or not. I certainly wasn't family.

Sure enough, I got an invitation for hubby and I to attend. And today we went. It was really nice. My own family here is rather small (though I have tons of extended relatives and second and further down the line cousins back in Wisconsin, Ohio and such that I've never met), so it was kind of fun to be part of a large family celebration like that. They had a huge family tree all drawn out, and lots of old family pictures. My 90 year old friend looked like a model when she was younger! It was fun to see her like that.

What's interesting to me is they held this same reunion last January. Even though I had been visiting his wife for some time prior to that, I was not invited (nor did I anticipate being invited) last year. Why did I get invited this year? The only thing I can think of is that prayer and hugs matter to people! Showing you care changes how people think about you. I never expected anything when I went to the hospital that day, but I get a warm feeling knowing that now I get included in the group he thinks of as "family".

And every time I see him, he gets a BIG hug from me!