Skip to main content

fam·i·ly ˈfam(ə)lē

I remember family gatherings (in lieu of funerals) as a time of fellowship with those you haven't seen in quite a while. There was no worry of who was going to sleep where, no mention of hotels. Everyone crashed on someone's floor. The designated person to barbecue was on deck, ready with the mopping brush, lemon, orange juice,  and gin. The outfits were in place with backups for the little ones. This was the time to get matching Summer outfits. The boys dressed alike and so did the girls. Remember the jelly sandals? The girl's hair was braided tight. As kids we didn't care about the logistics nor details. We were ready to see family, eat, run around, play in the plastic pool, drink as many sodas as we could, sneak beers from the cooler, eat watermelon, and go to the creek. Those were the days. 

Moments such as these are rare nowadays. The nostalgia lingers but there's hardly any cooperation to rekindle those bygone days. There's often mention of "Oh, family needs to stick together more." "We need to stick together." "We need to get together." "We need to have a family reunion." All this being said by the main people who cause the drama and discord amongst others. Therefore, leading key family members to not desire the association of a family gathering, a 'why bother' attitude. 

Many stick to themselves or resolve to creating their own immediate family traditions. And this is okay, but every now and then, family as a whole need to come together if not for a day. They need to obtain visuals of who their family truly is. Not "play cousins" or those "like a father",  or "uncle" so and so, but to see who their family really is. History needs to be revealed, no matter the consequence. Stories need to be told, no matter the pain. Families need to stand as family. 

What are your family gathering memories? How do you gather today?


Papa Smurf & grandkids

Gramma & grandkids

Siblings, minus 1

Mama & grandkids

Dad, Doonie, & Mr. B.

Aunt & Uncle

Comments

  1. I admit after this post, I am now in a place of being on the other end of the cohesive familial spectrum; sad but true. I'm okay with it, too.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I have many fond childhood memories of get togethers like what you mention, and yes, times have surely changed. I admit to being one that either has little/no time or little/no energy. Where is the balance?

      Delete

Post a Comment

Don't forget to click "Publish" after typing your comments. Thanks!

Popular Posts

Grilled Peaches & Herb

Why not pair fruit with herbs? Why not grill them? Growing up, I used to listen to my Mom's records often. So, when I hear 'peaches & herb' I can't help but to remember the 1960s duo and their hit "Reunited". I came up with this grilled creation and dedicate it to 'Peaches & Herb'. GRILLED PEACHES & HERB                           INGREDIENTS :6-7 peaches (real peaches, not nectarines), 1/4 tsp. nutmeg, 1 tsp. vanilla extract, 1/4 c. brown sugar (dark brown, light brown, it doesn't matter...just brown sugar), fresh lemon thyme sprig or 1 tbsp. (dry should be okay since the liquid from the peach will reconstitute the dryness) TOOLS & EQUIPMENT : knife, foil, grill YIELDS : approximately 5 cups STEPS : Rinse peaches Wash the fresh herb. See blog of "How to wash fresh herbs" Layer the ingredients, peaches first, in a foil pouch. See blog of "How to Create a Foil Pouch"  Grill for 30-45 minut

How to Spray-Paint a Leather Chair

Mr. B. wanted this chair from my Gramma sooooo bad. It's a plush, large leather chair she had as a pair in her entrance sitting area. She gave it to him like it was nothing. Hmph, what can I get so easily? Just kidding. She'd give you anything you asked for. I had no idea where this man wanted to put such a huge chair. With the Batcave project in planning stages, a spot was found for it. But how does a brown chair fit into a Batman/ batcave theme? Ah, old faithful spray-paint. Again, this chair was BROWN!  You must work with the paint as it is wet so the wet colors merge. Work in separate areas at one time if you're not quick enough. For instance, if you're too intimidated and find yourself working slow, work with the back first, then another section, and so forth.  I began by spraying the chair with the dominant color black.  While the black paint was still wet and at a distance, I sparingly sprayed the secondary color of the blue. The keyword on th

Four Hands & Nine Hours- A Pergola in a Day

I have wanted a pergola for years. The fancy ones, even in simplest structure, were a minimum of $1k and I always knew I could construct my own. I just had to do it. I use the community app NextDoor and a kind lady happened to post her desire to get rid of cedar wood left over from her pergola build, which was gorgeous by the way. I immediately responded that I would pick it up. Free cedar wood? Of course, I couldn't let that pass! I was going to blog the entire process of me building this thing, but it just wasn't happening. The sun was a total, brutal beat-down and my frustration level had far exceeded any hint of considering a blog idea. Forget that. The advice I can give is that you can do this project, too! The instructions I had, called for one size of something and I needed another size of something else. Plan your project and ensure you have all materials, tools, and help available!  My husband drilled the two holes for the post bases.  Me and my thirteen year old s