Family Reunion

In our society, it is not unusual for family members to be far-flung across the country or even across the globe. My parents and siblings reside in Tennessee, Missouri, Colorado and California. This makes it difficult and expensive for all of us to get together. We all gathered for a reunion for my birthday this summer, and the sacrifice of money and time indicated just how important it is to reunite with family.

Since the reunion was at my house, I got to plan the event. And I love to plan events! We started off the first day by heading to the local pottery painting shop where everyone made themselves a reunion keepsake to take home. Then it was off to a concert to see my daughters perform in San Luis Obispo. Wine tasting in Paso Robles, beach walking in Cambria and a creek side picnic were experienced and enjoyed during the week. But my favorite part was the day of our pool party and BBQ. I had written down everyone’s names on a chart and bought prizes so that we could have Ladder Ball and Ping Pong tournaments. Dads competed against sons, aunts teamed with nieces, and those who were waiting their turn clapped and cheered. As I watched the smiles, I knew – making memories is priceless.