Got up this morning thinking about family. Today is my little brother's birthday. It's funny how you have close relationships with some members of your family, but not with others - not necessarily brothers and sisters, but cousins, aunts, and uncles. It takes work to maintain relationships. This summer we will have a Barker family reunion. I will go, because I love that side of the family. They are a quirky bunch, bless their hearts.
My mother's family will have a reunion in June. I will take Mom if she wants to go, but I will know no one there, and they will not know me. When Mom is gone, that will end that connection. Funny that.
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Family IS a strange sort of experience. My parents are dead, Mom was an only child and I never knew my father's family... he was estranged from all of them. So all I have are my adult sons and we are close... I can say the same for my DILs and the grandbabies, of course. I don't get to see any of them near enough.
None of my family and I are close. Even my siblings I haven't seen in years, and three of my four nephews I haven't even met. I think if it weren't for FB, I wouldn't be in contact with most of my family at all.
Hopefully your grandkids - the cousins - will all be close too. That is where the fun is.
Like I said, relationships take much effort. I sometimes have to weigh the effort against other things. Sometimes the effort it would take to maintain a relationship is not worth it.
Ain't it the truth, Lou!
Even though I am a "Reeves," it's like chewing old cake to strike up a conversation with my Daddy's kinfolks (most of them I met at funerals). The Reeves' are really good people, but they just don't stay in touch much.
Heck...I worked at the hospital for almost a year before a 60-something year old Nurse came up to me and asked me if I was Don Reeves' son. I said, "Well, yes ma'am, I am. Do you know my Father?" She replied, "I knew you must have been Don's son!!! I haven't seen him in ages, but you look just like him! I'm his cousin, Becky"...then she went on to tell me about her father who was my Papaw's brother...I had heard Papaw talk about him, but never met him, or his chirrens.
I guess I missed that funeral...
On the other hand, my Mama's kinfolks are the ones that I wake up thinking about (too many stories, and memories for this comment). They were a tight bunch. Weird as all get-out! I mean, WEIRD, QUIRKY, (many of ORNERY, etc.
But, Lord knows I love 'em...
I am actually sorry that I read this post near bedtime. I know without a doubt that I will be dreaming tonight about my Beloved Granddaddy, Uncle Ross, Uncle Earl, Aunt Jan, and Aunt Frances...
And, not even to mention Pam's Okie kinfolks (that became mine when we wed...and who I badly miss now that they are in Heaven).
And, it will be all your fault.
Thanks a gozillion, Lou!
Your work here is done.
We have lots of family and pretty close with Gene's side. My side is different, I was the youngest and am old as dirt so not many left from my generation. The younger cousins have lived away and we don't know many. We will renew some ties this summer in Montana and Colorado.
Anytime, Andy. May you always have pleasant dreams.
Renewing the ties sounds fun - especially in Montana and Co. Mom Francis sounds like she would have kept everybody pretty close.
Thanks again, Lou! You do EXCELLENT WORK when it comes to haunting folks.
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