Larry's Niece

If you go to any "network" dinner parties you can identify with the scene of hearing people declaring their titles.
"I am the ____________________ of __________________, so nice to meet you."
It is part of our culture, the way we place value on each other and determine some level of importance, really pathetic honestly, but a white collar trend that has stuck.
Well, I found a place those titles are shattered and the ones that really matter are pushed to the forefront....an ER waiting room. Yes, you heard me. You want to see real titles emerge, go to Saint Francis on any given evening and I bet you hear much different titles being thrown out. Titles like brother, mother, daughter...relationship titles, the ones that merit getting a pass to go back to the room.
My uncle had a severe stroke on Tuesday night, so severe that he actually had a Code Blue ringing over the intercom because he quit breathing.
In the waiting room, I was surrounded by my family. I wore the proud title of "niece" as I held my cousin that wore the title of "first born daughter." Our history of being raised through the trail of losing her sister, my mom's multiple marriages, and other family members that have gone before us gave me the honor of holding her tightly after she had just been traumatized by the experience of believing she might lose her dad that evening...a non-repeatable moment.
A moment that echoed the importance of our family titles and experiences. A moment that I was comforted by taking my title so seriously over all of the years. Unless you value those titles, they mean nothing when the storm hits. You are just a stranger with a meaningless title.
Our family values those titles...our family puts them before our professions, our volunteer positions, our church roles...our family understands that if you don't take care of the people God has placed in your family tree than your other titles are really not that valuable.
I am so thankful for that modeling. As I looked around the ER at midnight, I was surrounded by my grandparents, my uncles, my cousins, my mom....
People that placed more value in those roles than their professions, which by the way, could hold their own at any given dinner party.