Different But The Same

We spent yesterday with our French family – sister-in-law-Geneviève, her children and their children, spending much of the day reflecting on what  is the same and what is different…

Some differences are immediately evident – language, driving on the ‘wrong’ side of the road, architectural styles. Others become apparent through conversation and experience… Nephew-Joel and his wife Julie took us Barbizon, a village that’s about an hour outside Paris.

We enjoyed the French countryside as we walked in the nearby forest… learnt about French history and French kings hunting in the Fontainebleau forest… visited a museum and learn about French culture – of 19th century artists who painted the rural beauty of the Barbizon landscapes, inspiring a school of painting… enjoyed French food at a French restaurant (with French wine and French cheese but without French fries!!).

Through the day, with Nephew-Joel and his family, and into the evening with Niece-Sara and her family we learnt about different jobs, different education systems, different churches, different holidays…

As we experienced differences I was reminded how much is the same…

Geneviève’s children talked  about summer holidays, home improvements, work challenges just as we would at home. Her grandchildren have hopes and plans for the future just as our grandchildren have.

…There was much shared humour about language… I enjoyed learning that speed humps that in England we might call ‘sleeping policemen’ in French are ‘dos-d’âne’ – a donkey’s back… we laughed at the difference between ‘fruit’ and ‘flute’ and the word for ‘water with bubbles’.

…There was also shared sadness that Chris – my brother, Geneviève’s husband, is no longer with us. Children and grandchildren remembered him in conversation; bereavement is a common experience and feeling.

Today I’m musing on differences and similarities… long, loving successful marriages… the value and privilege of family… changing definitions and expectations of ‘family-life… those who long for a family but do not have one… the God who’s described as ‘father to the fatherless, ‘defender of widows’ and ‘setting the lonely in families’.