We are getting together this weekend. A whole lot of family. All sides. They are coming from all over, too! And this time it's a happy occasion, a celebration of a milestone birthday. There are plans already made, plans in the making and contingency plans for the plans that don't work out. It will be raucous, noisy fun when we all assemble and I'm really quite excited about the whole thing. I love it when all the siblings get together with their spouses. I love it when those who aren't actually related by blood or marriage cram themselves and those who are blood relatives into a space and laugh and talk and laugh some more. Sometimes, as I told my sister recently, I wish I could hear better. But really, it's so great to go from group to group, catching pieces of conversation here and there, sliding into a joke with this crowd and delving into the philosophical question with that assembly. Re-telling the same family stories, even though everyone has heard them twenty-five times is still a tradition. And amidst all that, we really like each other. Oh, sometimes we lose patience with one or another. Sometimes we get angry over something someone says or does, but mostly I would say we really enjoy our company.
I like it when everyone has left, too and you can re-think things over. Replay the laughter and conversations in your mind and file it away for some long afternoon when maybe it seems colder and darker outside than normal.
I know this post sounds really "Pollyanna-ish", but I make no apologies. We're getting together this weekend and its a happy occasion.
3 comments:
Aha. When you asked me if I'd read your most recent post, I didn't know this one was in the pipeline -- just got to it, just now!
Still feeling Pollyanna-ish? I know I am. :)
all too quickly my life has returned to the "new normal". The Colder and Darker is both inside and outside. Want that Pollyanna-ish feeling, too, but no Hayley Mills in sight (okay, Cynth, you're a close second). I'm convinced that this should have been planned as a 5 day event, for me. One with each sibling, one for Mom, and one for the niece(s) and nephews. The time "with" was woefully short and the aftermath of this week is that there is no time to reflect. I feel VERY old. Sorry for this reply, but it's what flowed out.
It was a spectacular thing to do, but it's receded WAY into my rear view mirror, already. J&T were here a week ago tomorrow? No way, musta been a month. I spoke with Susan and Chris on Saturday - what month, too? Steven was here? Really?
Ah well, life. We move on.
But moving on is what we do, Mike! And sometimes the breath in between of moving, the pauses with the fam that are too few and way too many lifetimes in between, is the "just what we need" to keep on moving. The breath of life from J & T, from Sus and Chris and Steven, from you and Con, even from Jim and Helene are like distilled rarefied air and I for one, breathe much easier until the next time. I'll miss you all so much, Dorothy says at the end of the movie and it's true-- every time. And that much sweeter and more poignant until the next time. Love you both bros!
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