The family reunion

Summer is the time for homecomings and reunions. Last week my family held their annual family reunion in Missouri. Sadly, the number keeps dwindling.

This year the circle of prayer around the dining room table was smaller. The grandchildren who normally attend weren't there. One was in Jefferson City spending the summer before heading off to college. Another had other things to do.

Many members have grown old and died or were taken away by disease. We miss our Uncle Red who was always the life of the reunion. He's the one who was born on Christmas Day in a manger. No, it's true. The Mississippi River overflowed its banks and flooded a town called Old Gayosa. My grandparents moved to higher ground into a barn where my uncle was born on Christmas Day. Old Gayosa was eventually washed away by flood waters. I'm told it was the first county seat in Pemiscot County.

When I was a little girl playing outdoors in front of our house on Laurant Avenue, I would sometimes see Uncle Red walking on the sidewalk as he made his way to our house. He walked almost everywhere making his daily rounds in town. My younger sister and I were always happy to see him. Often, he would slip a quarter into the palm of our hands and wink. Nickels and dimes were hard to come by, so that quarter was manna to us.

Uncle Red had no riches but he had a wealth of common knowledge. Because he was so well known, state politicians sought him out to put in a good word for them. He was small in stature but large in humor. Even the editor of the daily newspaper devoted an entire editorial at his passing. He was so well liked that when he died, two families claimed him as their own at his funeral.

My Aunt Mary, who was the glue that bonded our family together, died of Lou Gehrig's (ALS) disease a few years ago. Her daughter is now the hostess who plans and holds the annual reunions. Uncle Bill always barbecues the meat, using his secret sauce.

The guest of honor traveled sixteen hours to attend the gathering, all the way from Bath, Pennsylvania.

The three hard of hearing members, (those whose hearing has hardened), asked a lot of "Huh's" and "Would you tell that joke again, I missed the first part.?"

Some of the stories told this year were a repeat of last year, but we laughed just the same.

Family reunions are a good time to connect with family members you probably haven't seen in several months. It's nice to touch base with aunts, and uncles, and nephews and nieces, and others you haven't had a chance to see in a long time.

In our family, each year we gather at the same place, which is centrally located for most of us. We have a covered dish meal together, then sit around and reminisce. Friends often drop by and join in the laughter and conversation.

Photo albums are brought by different family members to be shared with others.

One of the nieces recently graduated from nursing school. Her mother brought photos of the pinning ceremony in Poplar Bluff, Mo.The proud mother was honored to have been chosen to pin her daughter on that special occasion. .

Uncle Willard was at the family reunion, as usual. He's the pied piper of the group and usually gets down on the floor and plays with the little kids, keeping them entertained with games. But this year there were no little children attending. They've all grown up and found other interests outside the extended family. But that's okay too. That's just how it goes with reunions. It's inevitable that the group grows smaller. I can remember when the family burgeoned with toddlers and pre-schoolers. The older youngsters held magic shows for the grownups, or danced or played the guitar. But that's a thing of the past.

In years gone-by, a next door neighbor offered the use of his swimming pool to our group. Some of the younger set, especially the children, enjoyed splashing in the pool on a hot summer day. Now the family prefers sitting in the parlor discussing current events, the economy or things of the past.

Women swap recipes. "How did you make that mandarin orange cake?" one asks.

Another compliments the ice cream cake that a neighbor brought. Both desserts were beyond good. And so was the fellowship.

Hopefully, at next year's reuniting, the circle of prayer will be unbroken.