Tomorrow, Wednesday October 30, 2013, we will bury my aunt. My fraternal grandmother gave birth to ten children. As of right now, there is one left. I have one aunt left from that side of the family. I have the privilege to participate in Aunt Bessie's funeral. I cannot do justice to her life with the few words I may say. However it does make me pause and think about the fact that we are losing a generation within our family. One could argue that we have already lost them. Every family goes through this. We are not the first and I do not entertain the thought that we are. But, I do stop and think about the memories that we have as a family that we would not have had had we not gathered together at regular intervals to stay connected. Family Reunions are becoming a lost art.
I think about the many times we gathered at the lake to hang out for the day. Not only were there many death defying acts performed by young people on skis, sleds and tubes; there were recipes and traditions passed down to others. Of course we ate way too much food and immediately got back in the water. Yep! You guessed it. We all lived. I can beat that. Someone brought potato salad sat it on the table and we ate on it all afternoon. That's right. No one died; not even once did we get food poisoning! Amazing!
Now as we all get older, my generation is not near as good at holding reunions as our parents. I think it is still important. I have cousins on the other side of the family that I could not pick out of a line up. (Not that I would need to.) We just don't seem to make it a priority. I am as guilty as any one. We are losing the traditions that were passed down to us. Part of that was recipes and tall tales, but it was also how to be a good person and help a friend. It was the importance of a lifetime relationship with Christ and being in a church.
So, when was the last family reunion you went to?
Maybe you are the one to organize the next one.
I sure wish someone could make dressing like my Aunt Bessie.
A few things I remember from family reunions:
- Edsel rubbed pepper on Jimmie's tea glass. He couldn't understand how the food kept burning his mouth even as he drank.
- Larry & Mike were on a sled behind the boat and were "SLUNG" out around the boat. They fell off and when they surfaced, they could touch the boat dock. WOW!
- At least a hundred people learned to water ski.
- Keep your arms straight and bend your knees.
- This is a hard one - If you fall...let go of the rope!
- Some of us boys would climb to the top of pine trees and lean it over to grab the next one. Since we were only about 30 feet off the ground, it was perfectly safe.
- The 45 foot drop of the water fall made a great "Jumping off point".
- Yes, there are snakes in that lake.
- A grill going all day smells SO good!
- Swim fins can improve your ability to stay afloat. I can swim!
- Even in the summer heat and at the lake...the older men wore dress pants. Why?
- Since the cabin was so rural, we had a party line until 1982. Ask you parents what a party line is.
- Lots of GREAT food.
- Lots of tall tales.
- Lots of skinned knees.
- Lots of love!
