It’s rare in today’s society to see so many people from so many different backgrounds come together in support of one common goal. As a mom, I want my kids to see how they can make genuine and meaningful connections with others, no matter who they are or where they come from. I want to give them examples of true community; a place where support is never conditional or in short-supply. As outrageous as it may seen, I’ve found that exact thing as a Houston Astros fan during the 2022 World Series.

Sitting in a dark room, clinging to my newborn son, rocking him for more than an hour as he struggled to fall asleep, I whisper-sang the words to every single Taylor Swift song I could think of. My breath was heavy and my chest was tight. I wanted to scream and cry, but I just kept rocking and whisper-singing late into the night like some country music–obsessed zombie. On nights like this, my mind became a tangled mess of thoughts: I wondered if I was a good enough mom.

I recently painted my 78-year-old grandmother’s toenails. A breast cancer survivor of more than seven years, she is currently battling invasive stage IV adenocarcinoma lung cancer. Her cancer is inoperable, but she is receiving strong chemotherapy. After her first few rounds of chemo, she felt weak and was sick most days. Not able to take care of herself the way that she was used to, her physical appearance started to decline. Her skin lost its signature glow, her hair began to fall out, and the polish on her toenails became chipped and cracked.

The bonding that takes place at a family reunion is incomparable. My own cousins and I can go years without seeing one another. Yet when we get together, we laugh and cut up like no time has passed at all. And it’s all because of family reunions. I remember playing tag and searching for bugs in my great-grandmother’s yard when we were kids. We just did kid stuff, unsupervised, with whichever cousins were around. Meanwhile, the adults caught up with each other inside, leaving us completely on our own. Now that we’re all adults, our kids are doing the same at family gatherings.