I had such a nice day last Sunday. No, it wasn’t because of the weather. That was the day the Nor’easter began around 11am. No, it was not because the Patriots beat the Saints. I’m a Dolphin fan, remember? We’re already hoping for a good draft pick next year and it’s only week 7.
It was a nice day because we had a mini family reunion.
My mother came from a large family, the Lowe family. She was one of 11 children who all got married and had children and then their children had children. I have cousins, nieces and nephews scattered all over the country.
My father came from a smaller family, the Braleys. I think there were five of them and only three had children. Sadly, a couple of them have passed away. One in a car accident when he was just a teen and my brother died seven years ago. Wow! Has it been that long?
It was the Braley side that got together last weekend. Not all due to health issues but a few of us.
I’ve written before how I reconnected a few years ago with my cousin who still lives on Braley Rd. I hadn’t really seen her in over 10 or 15 years. When I finally sat down with her I said, “I’m sorry I didn’t keep in touch. I don’t know what happened.” That’s when she said one of the nicest things anyone could have said: “Life happened.” In that one statement I realized there was no judging, no anger, no hurt. Just the simple statement that we get busy when we are dealing with careers, marriage and children. Could I have done a better job keeping in touch? Probably. But it is what it is.
(Side note: I used to hate that line until I realized it was true.)
Since that visit we have had a couple of family reunions at my cousin Rob’s house in Hanover. However as life continued to “happen” it became more and more difficult for all of us to have the same weekend free so we haven’t gathered together for two years. This year my cousin found a Sunday when some of us could make it for lunch at one of her favorite restaurants.
Last Sunday we got together at Bailey’s Surf and Turf in Wareham. I had never been there and I truly enjoyed it. I had an open faced prime rib sandwich. Ooh it was good! It was one of those meals that, when it came, I thought I would never be able to eat the whole thing. A short time later my plate was clean.
More importantly (yes more important than that great sandwich), the conversation was so nice. We sat around that table for over an hour just catching up and sharing updates on all the family.
Now I realize that everyone has a different family dynamic. You may be close to yours, you may not be. However, if you’re not in touch with your family just because you seemed to have drifted away… is it possible you could drift back?
My cousin, Pat, will be 89 next month. We call her the matriarch of the family. She has so many stories from when we were kids and before we were born. I have learned more about my mother and father from her than I have learned from anyone else. Is there someone like that in your family? You really need to hear these stories, sorry to say, before it’s too late.
A few days later my cousin sent me a thank you note because she’s from the generation that did that sort of thing. She pointed out the similarities we all share even though we don’t see each other that often. I like to cook and so does my cousin’s son. Pat used to paint and my cousin’s daughter is also artistic. My cousin, Rob, was a Marine and I have three children in the Navy. (Here it comes!) Small world huh?
The afternoon ended and we all went out into the rain to drive to our homes. I made it home in time to see my Miami Dolphins go ahead in the 4th quarter only to watch them give it up with :48 seconds left in the game. Oy! They’re playing the Cleveland Browns this week and I think they have a chance! Hey, someone’s gotta win!
Other than that it was a nice day last Sunday sharing stories and remembering the past.
Don’t let these opportunities go by. We may never get them back.
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