The Family Reunion

We made it through the winter, and as spring moves towards summer, many of us are finding new things to look forward to. We made it through the winter, and as spring moves towards summer, many of us are finding new things to look forward to. I’ve noticed more comments and discussions about what to do this year, especially since it looks as if we’ll be moving around with a little more freedom. It occurred to me, it’s a great time for family reunions.
The sweltering heat, the days where the kids are out of school and driving us crazy... pretty much all lead to thoughts of family reunions in local parks or wherever else folks decide to gather. It’s sort of like a bunch of ants coming together and ruining your picnic and eating all the potato salad, except for the fact that the ants are family. They’re still eating all your potato salad, but you can’t stomp on ‘em.
I’m joking here, of course, but we don’t get to pick our families, we're kind of stuck with them. Even drunk Uncle Fred who always thinks he is the best singer in the world, next to Tony Bennett, and tries to prove it by singing “Fly Me to the Moon” to the pinata you hung for the kids. If you’re lucky the kids will whack him with a stick until he shuts up. If not, you’re stuck with two more choruses, and an off-key version of “I Left My Heart in San Fernando”. Uncle Frank isn’t great at geography either, drunk or sober.
I do wonder what other's see when they look at people’s families. A sort of ‘outside looking in’ thing. Wherever you are from usually dictates how you look at life. I’m sure most countries have the same sort of family get-togethers, but their activities and traditions are probably quite different.
A reunion in Europe might look a bit different to us in the U.S., and to other countries around the world in both hemispheres. I have to say that outside get-togethers in Australia, where they have bugs as big as the kids sharing the barbecue, might be tough. Don’t say this isn’t true... I’ve seen pictures of the spiders.
Uhh, no thanks. I’m getting distracted, sorry, just yikes.
It doesn’t seem to matter what country you’re from, or the differences in your celebrations, there are always times to get together with your family: birthdays, weddings, taco Tuesday, holidays, and for  a whole host of reasons too numerous to mention. Even though families are now spread all over the place, and sometimes it's hard to find everyone, eventually there’ll be the big backyard party and they’ll all show up.
Here’s a hint... if you haven’t seen family in a long time and can’t seem to contact them, win the lottery. Guaranteed you will hear from extended family you didn’t even realize you had.
I have to admit, it’s a lot of fun seeing all the people we grew up with, and some who are more recent friends. Finally meeting face to face with a new grandbaby, nephew, or niece, is awesome. We can spoil them with loads of sweets and candy then pass them back to their parents. Then laugh when the sugar kicks in and they’re running around like the Energizer Bunny.
Nothing is more fun than talking with cousins and remembering all the stupid, Neanderthal stuff we did when the parents weren’t watching. Remember... whatever happened, that we didn’t get caught for doing, stays within the cone of silence.

Read the entire article in the May 2022 issue of InD'Tale magazine.

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