It’s that time of year again. Time for our annual family gathering at my aunt’s home at the lake. We’ve been doing these gatherings for 30 plus years, every October. I come from a big family. My mama is one of seven kids. I am one of five kids. I’ve been blessed to have wonderful aunts and uncles and cousins. While we all live in many different places, we all make an effort to get together once a year.
It’s a time to catch up. We eat. We drink. We shop, we craft, and we watch football. We laugh. We take pictures. We have even been known to get tattoos once or twice. But the most important thing we do is just being together for two days out of the year.
We are all busy. However, taking time for family is imperative. Weekends like this are important and meaningful, especially as we get older. We have to teach our kids what life is all about and where they came from. We have to teach them about traditions. We have to teach them what is important in this life. Family is important. As I grow older, so does my mom, my aunts, and my uncles. I don’t know how many more of these weekends I will get with them, but it surely won’t be enough. I cherish this time.
Family doesn’t have to be blood, it can be friends that turned into family. What’s important is taking time to spend together with the people you love. Whether your family is big or small, plan a day or weekend together – not just at the holidays. Play board games, reminisce, learn about your parents when they were young. Find out how your grandparents met. Share what’s going on in your life. Be there for each other. Love where you came from.
xoxo, Jane Anne
