Former Israeli Prime Minister and Nobel Peace Prize winner Menachem Begin once wrote “Peace is the beauty of life. It is sunshine. It is the smile of a child, the love of a mother, the joy of a father, the togetherness of a family. It is the advancement of mankind, the victory of a just cause, the triumph of truth.” On this Family Day weekend in the rest of Canada (we in BC celebrated last weekend), the importance of family in our lives is celebrated, honoured and appreciated.

Last weekend I was lucky to celebrate family even this far away from home out here on the west coast with my cousins Marian and James, two of the long-legged shapes above, in beautiful Gibsons, British Columbia. While I sorely miss my family back home in Ontario, I deeply appreciated the chance to gather and enjoy the support and ties that family can bring to our often hectic lives. I love visiting my cousin Marian and her husband Bob, also transplants from Ontario, and this year we added our cousin James who I have not seen in likely 40 years! The three of us often found ourselves reminiscing about our common family members who we miss, mothers, fathers, aunts and uncles. These shared stories bind us together, a common thread that reminds us we are on this planet together and are loved and cherished.

I thought this photo of the wonderful Robert’s Creek Mandala is the perfect symbol of Family Day. Originally started as a way to cover up graffiti in a beautiful beachside park on the Sunshine Coast 19 years ago, the mandala, or circle, is an ongoing community project that celebrates the unique stories that bind us together with a common thread of unity woven in gorgeous colour!

On this Family Day weekend, may you enjoy the gift of time to celebrate the ones you hold dear, to celebrate “the togetherness of a family.”