Family Reunions

Are family reunions worth attending is a question that can be difficult to answer for many people. In my case, we just attended a family reunion for my dad's side of the family. In a way it was a little sad because all of the grand parents and great aunts and uncles are no longer with us. At the same time, it was a good time to celebrate because we had many grand children there that would not have been there several years ago.

This reunion is something that my dad decided to plan and worked long and hard to get everyone there. We got lucky, there were only four members of the family who were unable to attend due to various reasons. We ended up with twenty three to twenty six people and one dog there, if my memory serves me correctly. 

The conversation and stories that were told were interesting. It is amazing when so many people get together how many things everyone can remember as a collective group but no single person can remember at all. Of course, this can get a bit interesting when we had hoped that some of the stories would never be repeated, especially in the presence of our moms, dads, or children. 

We had more than enough food for everyone and plenty of iced tea and lemonade and of course many brought their favorite drinks, mainly Mountain Dew. 

Many just sat around talking while others played horse shoes or went for a walk. The reunion was held at a community park in a location with real restrooms were available, not a portapot, which those in need appreciated greatly. 

It was a very warm day, but the humidity wasn't too bad and their was a nice breeze as well.  All in all, it was a beautiful day for a potluck dinner and family reunion.

Some members of the family traveled from as far away as California or Florida,  others were just a few miles away and many more from somewhere in between.

Pictures were also taken for each part of the family and the entire group of attendees. This of course turned into a time for joking and kidding around as everyone was in very close proximity to one another. Dads other sister coordinated all the photo taking as she has done for as long as I can remember.  I hope that the joking and kidding around didn't ruin too many of the pictures. 

So the committee made of the three eldest members of the family brought the family tougher in one place for one afternoon for what should be a memorable experience for all. 

So back to the original question; are family reunions worth attending?  In my opinion, I believe it will be a memorable moment in my life and it reminded me that waiting fifteen years to return home to visit family is way too much time between visits.

We miss a lot of important moments in everyone's life which telephones, Twitter, face book, email,or whatever method of sharing information you may use are the primary way we communicate with our family. 

I would say, that family reunions are an important part of every familie's lives and gives the elders a little extra time to share stories of the past with the younger generations who can then pass on to their children and grand children. 

If you have not had a family reunion in a while, I would say you need to talk to your family and see what you can do. It may well turn out to be one of the better moments of your life.