Get Together

Summer always seems to be a time for family gatherings. Already this year I have attended 2 family reunions, four picnics and 3 "get-togethers". Yesterday was one of those "get-togethers". My brother and his wife invited us to a picnic with several of my mother's side of the family to celebrate my parents 47 years of marriage. Their actual wedding anniversary was the 25th of July, but yesterday was the only day everyone could get together.

My mother's parents had six children. My mother being the oldest of five daughters, and one brother. Over the years those six children have grown to a total of over 84 children, grandchildren, spouses, and great grandchildren; give or take three or four. But yesterday there were only about 30 in attendance. Not really even half. Only two of my mother's siblings attended.

It also marked the first time that DJ was invited to my brother's house for any type of family function. Which was a big step. More for him than for us, and I greatly appreciated his "acceptance" Not that he has accepted my "lifestyle" as he refers to it, but that he has at least accepted the fact that DJ is a part of my life. Isn't that what the word Get-Together means? We don't have to agree but we should be able to still get together and cherish the time we have together.

Again, it was good to see family members that I had not seen in a while, and to see how their children have grown. One thing is for certain, family is one of the greatest gifts we have, and as the family gets bigger and bigger in many ways, as my Aunt Shirley stated so well yesterday, it also gets much smaller.