Family Reunions

One of the great things about summer is getting opportunities to see extended family. Every other year, my mom's side of the family gets together for a day or two to reconnect and fellowship. Most of the relatives that attend these reunions come from Amish backgrounds, so these times of sharing their common heritage are very special to them. I love getting together with my three-or four-times-removed cousins and hearing the lingering Amish accent, trying to sing along with the German songs that I've picked up bits and pieces to over the years, and listening to stories of their former primitive lives shared by the reminiscent folks.
 I so appreciate the values that my grandma and her children have tried so hard to instill in the generations that have followed them: hard work, unity, family ties, and mostly, a desire to serve God. I'm fascinated by the rigid manners of dress and activity that still flow through the undercurrent of our gatherings and appreciate the conservative views that many of the relatives still hold to. Oh, and let's not forget the food--these gatherings bring a host first-rate cooks who fill the tables with mouth-watering casseroles, fresh salads, pies, and my favorite: tapioca pudding. Mmmmm . . . that's good stuff!

Chris and Ashley Hanging Out With a Couple of my Aunties

This year, aside from the normal biannual gathering of extended family, there was a special weekend set aside for just my grandma and her descendants (numbering, I believe, around 150 if you include spouses). It was wonderful to see cousins, aunts, and uncles from Arkansas, Illinois, Florida, and Texas (and, of course, everyone from Iowa which is where the reunion was held). My grandma will turn 98 this year (wow!), and she is one amazing little woman: hard-of-hearing, sometimes forgetful, and increasingly less mobile, she can still set the room laughing with a silly story from her past or bring us all to tears by singing, "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days, all the days of my life . . . . " My grandmother loves Jesus, loves to sing, and loves to give. Her generosity was brought to light again as all her earthly possessions, which no longer fit into her room at the nursing home that she recently moved in to, were spread out on some tables for all of us to sift through: hundreds of pictures and letters that her children and grandchildren had sent to her filed into boxes and folders, stashes of tiny pictures of animals and nature which she had carefully clipped from magazines and flyers and would always include with her cards and letters "for the kids," and collections of cheap trinkets and toys which she still carries in her purse and hands out to small children who repay her with big smiles. There were other things too--dishes, decorations, sewing notions, and books -- but the small things were the ones that stuck out to me the most. These were the things that brought back the most memories of times spent with Grandma. There was a somber tone that wove its way through our hearts as we fingered the notes, pictures, and memoirs, wondering if this was the last time we might have a gathering like this with my grandma present. She has certainly passed on a priceless legacy to those of us who are privileged to call her "Grandma."

Me With My Mom, My Children, and My Sweet Grandma

But we found that you can't be somber and melancholy for too long with a slide like this around:

My cousins and I have many fond memories of zipping down this very same slide decades ago, and what fun to see our kids now enjoying it! It took Eliana awile to warm up to the idea of going down this slide--it was BIG one--but once she took the plunge there was no stopping her. Hey, even I got in on the fun, but the picture of me on the slide isn't coming through for some reason (aw, shucks!).

Another special gathering on my side of the family was a reunion that was held for my dad's relatives. A gathering like this had not happened for over 40 years I was told. There were a few familiar faces of cousins, aunts, and uncles who have seen the importance of staying in touch over the years, but there were even more unfamiliar faces. I met some cousins whom I'd only known by name up to that point, but had never met in person. It was a very special time to be re-united and celebrate the bond of common ancestry (I'm a bit sentimental about things like that). I hope this will be an event that happens more regularly--I have some really great relatives from that group whom I'd like to see more than once every 40 years!

Well, my relatives aren't the only ones who like to get together; just this past week, Chris's side of the family had a special gathering as we said farewell to some relatives who were visiting from Sweden. Chris's maternal grandparents are both Swedish, so to have family visit from the homeland was quite exciting. Chris's side of the family is much smaller and less spread out (well, except for the ones who hail from over the ocean, of course) than mine, so we could actually all fit in one house. We had a really nice time seeing his cousins, meeting the Swedes, and even meeting some distant relatives from right here in Minnesota.

So, I think all of our family gatherings are finished for this season . . . the past month has been full of them and has left many happy impressions in my mind. I can't help but entertain the strange idea of what these gatherings might look like in another 50 years when my generation is made up of the "elders" reminiscing of days gone by as scores of "young-uns" scamper about . . . I hope I can offer as much nurture and love as so many of my older relatives have done for me.