Thursday, June 29, 2006

Family Reunion

We had a family reunion Sunday afternoon. People began gathering in from Virginia, Nebraska and locally. We expected some cousins from Texas and California, but one of the Texas cousins had been put in the hospital with continuing heart problems, and died only a few days before time to come in. We usually also have a cousin from Louisanna, but he didn't make it this year. A cousin from Missouri wasn't able to be with us either.

We are all getting older and there are beginning to be fewer of us each year. There were 20 of us originally from 6 brothers and sisters. All the brothers and sisters are gone, and we've lost 4 of the cousins. I think our parents would all be proud of the effort we make to see each other and to keep in touch. Hopefully, they are in heaven having their own reunion looking down at us.

Many of these cousins I didn't grow up with. They had begun to scatter when I was a small child. If my counting is correct, I'm the 4th youngest of us.

As time has passed, we have all raised our families. A few we never hear from, but have in the last several years gotten re-acquainted with many.

We came together Sunday afternoon at a local restaurant, ate, visited and took pictures. After a few hours of togetherness, we went our separate ways and planned to have another meal together next year.
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