My brother piped the strains of different family lines down to the water's edge. It was Uncle Jay and Aunt Marty's 60th anniversary this weekend. Now THAT is an achievement. And to witness the love and accomplishment of all of these relatives after not seeing some of them for so many too many years?

LOVELY.

It also reminded me of our duty once again, to each other, to do our best. We all survive. But the moment that we make each day our own, and not some expected result of our past? We're free to soar.

My Uncle is my mother's brother. He checks in often, and always asks if he can help in any way. I am grateful. He is very generous. We can't talk politics, but we can talk practical, "do the right thing" kind of stuff.

We all brought a story with us to the celebration. I had forgotten this one until I was trying to figure out what to say:

When Jennifer and I were first starting out, Uncle Jay and Aunt Marty came to see us at Passim, a tiny little folk club in Harvard Square. Now I don't think Uncle Jay much cared about music. He was a business man. Often at Thanksgiving, when we'd all gather, the Nelsons (all artsy fartsy writer types) and the Stones didn't have that much to talk about. Poetry? A passion for words? A mystery to them. Life Insurance? A five year plan? A mystery to us.

Anyway, Uncle Jay and Aunt Marty soldiered through this gig of mine, and we had an indelible conversation afterward.

Uncle Jay: "I can see that you're very serious about this music stuff. So, what's your five year plan?"

me: "Well, I just want to write more, and tour more and make records. And I'm saving up for this guitar that I really think is the one I need."

Uncle Jay: "Well, how much have you saved?"

me: "1000 bucks."

Uncle Jay: "Well, I'd like to help you get that guitar."

This was true, out of the blue, practical generosity. He followed through, and I got that guitar. And I still have that guitar. Saturday night I joked about the ups and downs of the career side of things, the vicissitudes of the music business. But the fact is, that guitar was a great investment. So at least that part of my five year plan was sound!

THANK YOU and congratulations Uncle Jay and Aunt Marty!!