Wedding Blog

I come from a very large extended family. I was one of the first grandkids and was actually born when some of my aunts and uncles were still teenagers. Growing up, my extended family was a huge part of my life. I lived in an apartment building where my grandmother was only four floors away. She would take me to school while my parents both worked. I would spend my afternoons playing with my brother and usually an aunt or uncle, who all lived in close proximity. They all treated us kids as if we were their own. Needless to say, I am very close to all my aunts and uncles, as well as my cousins, who I treat as if they were my own siblings.

With the coming Lunar New Year this week, I’ve had a chance to reflect on the past year and how much Mr. Canary has become a part of my family. For one, he lives with me at Chez Parents. I even went away for a few weeks on a trip with Mama Canary and he stayed on and hung out with Papa Canary and my younger brother… and survived!

When my younger cousins visit, I make it a point to take them to a lot of cultural activities so that they can really experience New York, which usually means arranging meals, tickets, and subway rides for four kids under the age of 15. Mr. Canary is always along for the ride without any complaints and always engages the kids with good questions and conversation. We probably have a large family birthday every few months where everyone mostly speaks Chinese and forgets to translate into English, but Mr. Canary attends anyway and actively participates as much as possible. He remembers everyone’s names and their titles (very important in Chinese culture to address someone by their title, i.e. first aunt, third uncle) and is familiar with Chinese etiquette (how to pour tea and to whom first).

Most importantly, Mr. Canary never makes me choose. He knows how much I love my family and how a lot of the times I am obligated to do things to help out, regardless of whatever personal plans I have for the day. Mr. Canary is very understanding and never makes me feel guilty for dragging him along to family activities or running an errand for my family before we can go out and spend the day on our own. He thinks of my family as much as I think of them. If we’re out shopping and we see something Mama Canary might like, he says “Call her and see if she wants one!”

I know I shouldn’t be surprised, but I guess I feel blessed and grateful that I have someone who loves my family as much as they love me. Marrying someone who really embraces my family makes me feel like I’m expanding my family instead of marrying into another.

How is your significant other’s relationship with your family?