The Strength Of Family

Alvin ... tells her how he asked them to break one stick, "and of course they could," but, when he bound a number of sticks together and asked the children to break them as a bundle, they were unable to do so. That's family.
From the film "The Straight Story"

At my Dad's 61st birthday my family met my girlfriend, who was to become my wife, for the first time. She was the focus of attention, even when Dad was unwrapping presents she was answering questions about children.

When Cate was only a few weeks old we took her over to my parents' house. With the exception of Morrisons and Mothercare, it was only the third place that Cate had been following the hospital and our home. The family grapevine advertised the event and instead of a quiet visit our daughter met a menagerie of uncles and aunts. Cate was passed from relative to relative and the inevitable debate of which of her features came from which parent ensued. She started sounding less like a daughter and more like Frankenstein's monster.

It was a fitting welcome from the clan to the next generation and heartening to know that there are so many people that Cate will be able to rely on in the future.