It has just occurred to me that by this time next week, there will be several additions to the group of people whom I refer to as “family”. My little sister is getting married, and since she lives in Florida we get to go there for the celebration. I am excited to see her and to make the trip there with my family. While I have met my sister’s fiancé, I have never met any of his family. This will be the first time that I meet them.
There’s no time like a wedding to dust off your knowledge of kinship terms. After all, as I meet all of my soon to be brother in law’s family, I would like to know what relation they are to me once the wedding takes place. I know that I will gain one brother in law. What I did not realize until just now is that my husband will also gain a brother in law. The term refers to the husband of one’s sister, but it also refers to the husband of one’s spouse’s sister.
My boys have always had my sister as their aunt, and when Auntie gets married, her husband will officially be their uncle. My oldest son has met his nearly – official uncle before. When we arrive in Florida, my seven month old will meet him for the first time.
My sister and her fiancé do not have any children yet, so I do not yet have any nieces and nephews on my side of the family. At this wedding, my father will gain a son in law and my mother will gain a son in law. My sister’s fiancé’s parents will gain a daughter in law. My sister will gain a mother in law and a father in law, and so will her husband.
I am so excited for my sister’s wedding. It is sure to be a fun vacation, and I am hoping that her big day will be just as wonderful and unique as she is. From what I know about the festivities, there are some special things that my sister and her fiancé have incorporated into the event that pay tribute to the things that they love. For example, they both love the beach and the ocean and the wedding ceremony is taking place on a schooner. My sister is a cupcake fanatic, and I have been told that there will be multitudes of cupcakes so that no one has to make any agonizing decisions over which one flavor they will eat. It is sure to be a very special and memorable occasion.
Photo by ganyaman401 on morguefile.com.