We will be in Toronto for the week leading up to GS's Celebration of Life. We have received requests from our circle of friends to spend time with GS's family - to listen, go for walks with them, and help them navigate the bureaucratic speed bumps they encountered while taking over GS's affairs. GS did not plan for his death, so there is no will or list of accounts or affairs that must be dealt with. GS wasn't hiding anything; he simply wasn't the best at keeping his books up to date.

On a happy note, Saturday marked a family reunion on my father's side. Relatives from all over the country gathered to celebrate and reconnect. At least fifty people attended, including my uncles, cousins, their spouses, kids, and grandkids.

I mostly recognize my uncles and first cousins, but I struggle to remember everyone else.

On Sunday, about half of us attended our old church, and afterward, we gathered at a cousin's house for lunch.

With all the cousins in town, this was the first time I've really thought through the details of my family tree. A few of us were chatting about the surprising connections. I made a quip, saying, "There is some interesting cross-pollination going on there."

A cousin laughed, nodded, and responded, "That's a great way of putting it."

There is no incest or marriage between cousins, but the number of double relationships was surprising and caused us to double-check. It's good that my generation moved away from home and stopped marrying from within the Church.