“We are family - I got all my sisters with me - We are family - Get up everybody and sing - We are family - I got all my sisters with me - We are family -Get up everybody and sing

Everyone can see we′re together -As we walk on by - (And) we fly just like birds of a feather - I won't tell no lie - all of the people around us they say - Can they be that close? - Just let me state for the record - We're giving love in a family dose.”

“We are family Hey, hey - I got all my sisters with me and my brothers with me -We are family -Sing it, sing it to me - Get up everybody and sing Whoo, c'mon everybody.” (Sister Sledge)

I love my siblings. I have eight of them - five brothers and three sisters. This weekend we will have a sibling get together to celebrate our oldest sister’s 85th birthday and our brother-in-law’s 85th.

My parents - Stan and Alice - married in August, 1938. The kids started coming in August of 1940 and that trend didn’t stop for 18 years…….Marilyn (1940) - Bob (1943) - Susan (1945) - Brenda (1947) - Harry (1950) - Ted (1951) - Philip (1953) - Tim (1955) and me (1958). Our parents raised us to love Jesus, the local church and each other. I’m reminded of a quote by the mother of the great hymn writers/pastors - John and Charles Wesley! Susanna Wesley and her husband - Samuel - had 19 children - 9 of which died as infants. They lived in the early 1700’s and this is what Susanna said - “Though the raising of so many children must create abundance of trouble and will perpetually keep the mind employed as well as the body - yet consider that it is no small honour to be entrusted with the care of so many souls. It will certainly be no little accession to the future glory to stand forth in the last day and say “Lord, here are the children which Thou hast given me, of whom I have lost none by my ill example - nor by neglecting to install in their minds, in their early years - the principles of Thy true religion and virtue.”

Susanna - as did our parents - taught us these same virtues - gratefulness to God - kindness to siblings - how to pray - the importance of Scripture memorization and dependance on God’s provision.

We’ve had our share of joy through the years and shared some sorrow too.

The call came on a Sunday night - just after midnight - the early hours of July 25th, 1994. I could tell from Randy’s voice that it was bad news - someone had died. As I listened I thought - probably someone from our church family - not ever imagining in a thousand years that it was my beloved big brother - Tim. My brother Ted was making the calls to each of us siblings - relating the very sad news - Tim had drowned Sunday afternoon in the McKenzie River.

I remember being stunned when Randy shared the story - or at least all that Ted knew so far. I was in shock. I got out of bed and my legs gave way. I felt like I was going to be sick to my stomach. I couldn’t believe the news.

We prayed - for Lorraine - the kids - my parents - our siblings - Tim’s friends - and tried to go back to sleep but sleep would not come that night and for many nights to come.

In the morning - we told our boys. They were young. Their hearts broke for my heart.

More important - I knew that four of my siblings had met on that Monday morning at my parent’s home - near Westport to break the news to my mom and dad…..they didn’t phone them in the middle of the night but would tell them face to face. Marilyn, Brenda, Phil and Ted met on the cottage road and wouldn’t you know it - my Dad was already walking their dog in the cool of the early morning - 7 am. Obviously, when he saw the four of them, my Dad knew that something was up. After they told him - his thoughts and words were only for Mom. ‘“Oh, Al! She’ll be devastated!” The five of them (and the dog) walked up the cottage road hill and Mom saw them from the kitchen window……”what?”

My siblings shared the news and Mom just kept saying - “Timmie. Timmie. Timmie!” Her beloved youngest son was dead.

As siblings we made the long journey north to Red Lake - to comfort Tim’s wife and children and to comfort each other. We stood together by his coffin and greeted his friends and co-workers and neighbours. We buried our beloved brother. We were Castle Strong!

“To the outside world we all grow old but not to brothers and sisters. We know each other as we always did!” (Clara Ortega) “

We’ve gone on road trips together - vacationed together - cottaged together - camped together - played together - golfed together - cheered on our favourite teams - eaten together - prayed together - cried together.

One thing we’ve never done - been angry with one another - held a grudge against one another - not spoken to each other - we are CASTLE STRONG.

When Randy died in 2014, my siblings were heartbroken for me. They shared my deep sorrow. They mourned with me. On the day of Randy’s burial in Westport they supported - not just me - but my sons as well. My brother - Ted - phoned me a few months before he passed away in 2023 to tell me something that had happened on that hot July day in Westport - where we buried Randy. My son, Zac, had slipped away from the crowd of people and was standing by himself - heartbroken, grieving, in pain - across the street - from the church. Ted noticed! Ted walked over to Zac - wrapped his arms around him - and held him while the tears poured down Zac’s face. No words were spoken for a very long time - only the power and love of an uncle’s arms around a broken nephew. As Ted recounted that story to me - we cried together - I couldn’t ever imagine a time that my siblings were not part of my life.

When Harv and I married in 2016 - all of them were there - with bells on - so happy for me to find love once again and not have to grow old alone. That same brother Ted phoned Harv one evening before our wedding and lovingly (with a tiny threat) - suggested that Harv never - ever - hurt his little sister! Another time - another brother - Bob - sat on a bench in Florida with Harv (while Lynn and I shopped) and with tears in his eyes - told Harv how grateful he was that Harv and I were married. You can’t make this stuff up. Castle Strong!

I’ve learned so much from my siblings - sometimes by asking them questions and other times by watching their lives! Marriage is for keeps! How to parent with patience and love. How to sew and knit! How to hit a 6 iron! How to play euchre and cribbage! How to train for a half marathon! That it’s okay to toss a half a glass of coke at your spouse when they are cheating at cards! How to be gracious when life is tough. The rules of all sports. How to hope when things look hopeless. How to finish something I’ve started. How to share with others less fortunate. How to tip wait staff. These things and so much more.

Another call came…..on a Saturday morning in February of 2023…...from my brother Ted himself. The pain and weight loss he had experienced - was cancer. We talked briefly and he encouraged us to be strong. The cancer took over his body quickly and less than 90 days later - Ted’s faith was sight. He was Home - in Heaven. We grieved with his wife and children and grandchildren. We grieved with each other. We grieved but not as those who have no hope. Our hope is that we will be together once again - in heaven. It’s good we are Castle Strong!

There’s a good reason we are united - together - one mind - blended - molded to each other. In fact - 169 reasons. Our family tree numbers 169 now. Even to the fourth generation, they will be reminded that their parents and aunties and uncles stood solid together - Castle Strong!