The Tie That Binds

There are certain sounds that, when you hear them, you know you’re in the presence of something special.

A baby’s giggle. An accomplished singer hitting her high note. The crack of a baseball bat followed by the roar of the crowd.

This past Saturday night, it was my family’s laughter.

One of my cousins just graduated from college, and over the weekend, our extended family got together to celebrate.

This was one of those, “Wow, I’m old” moments for me, because I remember this particular cousin being born. There are pictures of me holding him as a baby — when I was in high school.

Now, he’s taller than I am and is headed to the West Coast to work for a Fortune 500 company.

After dinner was eaten and the celebratory cake was cut, we sat around the table, sharing our favorite stories, both about this cousin and our family in general.

We’re all scattered across the country now, and we’re all experiencing new phases of life.

Things are different from the way they used to be. And so are we.

But when we gather together for these special occasions, no matter how infrequent they may be, we’re still connected by those memories, still bound by that symbiotic laughter.

And if we’re lucky, that’s a bond that will never change.

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This article originally appeared on 100 Naked Words.