Celebrating Family Poem by Jim Yerman

Our family loves to get together to celebrate birthdays
which, as everybody knows
is harder and harder to do each year…
as the family grows.

When you look at this year's family photo…
you'll notice masks (no hugging or kissing)
but what's even more apparent
are the family members who are missing.

Not everyone could be here this month to help us celebrate
Three are working in a different city and two are out of state.

But the great thing about this photo is…
when I focus…when I stare
I can see all five of them in the picture…
all five of them…standing there.

It seems whenever we take a family photo…
in whatever place we've been…
If there is someone missing at that moment…
my memory photo shops them in.

In fact if I look even closer…
I'm amazed at the family my memory adds…
I see Deborah's parents standing there
next to my Mom and Dad.

For that is the beauty of family…
if members have departed…
or are spread out across the map
our memory comes to the rescue
by filling in the gaps.

In this year's photo I see generations of our families…
smiling…alive…awake….
Luckily they were here just here for the picture…
because…we didn't make enough cake!