When I'm all that's left of this family of three who's gonna know but me" -Kathy Mattea-
Although some may find this song sad or maudlin, I love it and hear in it a call to action:
- Share the stories
- Share the photos
- Make time to talk
- Do it today - do it NOW
My family is spread across the world - literally, and my husband's family is spread around the country. We live in Michigan, our sons live in New Zealand and Canada. How do you maintain those all-important family ties, share family memories, and create new shared experiences under those circumstances? We're doing it piecemeal - taking opportunities when they present themselves, creating opportunities and inviting relatives to participate, hanging on to certain traditions, although others have had to go by the wayside due to extreme distances. This past fall we had the opportunity to gather a rather large group of three generations in one place; we each contributed what we could and had a blast together. It was fun to look over old photos and hear stories we had forgotten, or learn ones we did not know; it was fun to look at our youngest generation and remark on the similarities of their appearance or personalities to those of their grandparents and even earlier generations; and it was fun to hear our kids discussing their memories of growing up - knowing that they are taking the reins and in doing so are taking some of our past into their future. Who's gonna know but YOU....? Do something about it TODAY!
This is so true, we've heard our grandparents and parents say, "What would interest anyone in what I did in my lifetime?" I have to ask, is the lower right photo of the set of four, of you and your brother? Just wondering, I see Mark's looks in the little boy, when I remember Mark at that age. Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeleteYup, that's my brother. I LOVE that impish smile on his face in this photo, and while I hadn't thought of it, you're right, Mark DID have that same look at times : )
ReplyDeleteI love the idea of getting family together. Your pictures bring back memories from when I was a little girl. My mom was one of 8 children. Most of our extended family lived in the New York/New Jersey area. We would gather at my grandparents on some Sundays to eat polish food and the adults would play cards.
ReplyDeleteThese days we are all scattered, too. Many of my aunts and uncles have passed on. All of us cousins have pretty active lives and with all of the things we commit to, it is very difficult to get us all together in one place. I find that weddings and funerals -- when emotions are closest to the surface -- are the only times we have to compare notes and celebrate the family.
Weddings and funerals used to be when we all got together too Wendy, but with no weddings planned in the forseeable future, and with many of us not wanting to miss the next gathering because it might be for OUR funeral (only kind of kidding), we started planning a year in advance to get together as many as could come. We held it at our tiny cottage on Lake Michigan, rented neighboring cottages to accommodate everyone who was able to come. Because people had so much notice, many were able to add this event to their plans and budgets; kind of like a wedding, but without the bride and groom and no presents required! Not something any of us can do annually due to both busy schedules and cost, but all agreed that we'd like to try again in a few years.
Deletelove it! My parents are in the East Coast but my siblings are all local to me. It drives me crazy that my siblings don't make more of an effort to gather. So, I am the one who normally needs to make an "official" way to get everyone together. It is so important and life sure does fly by fast.
ReplyDeleteDon't let them make you crazy - just bask in the knowledge that YOU are the one who - as my aunt used to say - "holds the strings that keep the family together". You may find that even if your sibs don't recognize your efforts, the next generation does....or will...or the sibs will do so eventually. In any case, YOU are doing what you recognize is important - GOOD FOR YOU!
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