September 6th, 2021   
Good Morning Folks,

    For the third time in as many months, I have gathered together with my siblings. This time, for the wedding of my sister Mary’s daughter, my niece, Beth Whitmore. Unfortunately our youngest sibling, Sam Bernunzio, a nurse, was not able to attend because of his work commitments but we felt his presence. We were all housed together in Lake House Townhouses in Richfield Springs, NY (called Ga-no-wan-ges by the Oneida Indians which translated to "stinking water" as the spring are sulfur). As I gazed across the setting I realize how lucky we have been to have survived the years together and still remain reasonably healthy and retaining most of our faculties. Family lives are crooked paths that twist across complications of personality, chance circumstances and occupation. It is never perfect, never a straight line. The were often long periods when we did not reach out to one another but we all ended the weekend with promise of renewal. Today, as the oldest of this clan, I must say that I am extremely honored to be a part of a very special group. The consummation was for all of us to come together to celebrate a somewhat unconventional, but beautifully sanctimonious wedding. Not that in the current day and age, should I at all be surprised at a wedding officiated by a Jewish, Universal Life Church Minister, dressed as a Jedi warrior….but, the quotation by Dr. Seuss says it all. To me this wedding signified everything that can be positive about the future. It is how sub-groups of friends gravitate together to form a community/family that is greater than the individuals who make it up. It is this "new" America that I find refreshing and promising. Congratulations and thank you, Eric and Beth!

Sincerely,

John Bernunzio 

Last night we were so happy able to stop in Westfield, MA and have a pre-13th birthday dinner with our granddaughter Skyler and her mom, Beth. Today we head to the Maine coast for lobsters and banjos.