Family: Part I

Sometimes I dread family get-togethers with my dad's side of the family. I'm not sure why. When I was younger, I think I really looked forward to the times when all of us would be together.

Now the dad's side of my family is pretty large. He has 11 brothers and sisters - most of whom are married and have several children. The grandkids have also begun to get married and have their own children. So a typical family thing ends up being at least 35 people - Christmas is a whole other thing entirely.
So tonight was a celebration of my paternal grandma's birthday - she's 82. I really want to be like her when I'm 82. She doesn't move very fast - which is probably a good thing ... the world moves fast enough as it is. She really likes to cook - which is also good because some of my cousins can eat a lot ... especially mashed potatoes and pickles (not together - some eat potatoes and others eat pickles). And she's always excited to see everyone - truly, deeply and from the bottom of her heart. She really makes you glad to be there.

So why don't I really like these family gatherings? Maybe I've become too much like the world and am growing too cynical. (They always go too long. It gets too cliquey. After four hours, the little ones can get really cranky ... the big ones too sometimes.) But when I think about it, I'd have to say that I'd miss those times together if I couldn't go one day.

Take my cousin Matthew. I think he's 15 now (ages are hard to remember when you have so many cousins). He also has Down's Syndrome. Sometimes it's frustrating because he acts differently and requires a fair bit of supervision. But like my wonderful grandma, he simply moves at a different pace than the rest of us.

Tonight he was playing with a cloth napkin in front of a fan. The most basic elements and yet it had him captivated.

That worries me ... when was the last time I've ever been captivated? When was the last time I studied something to discover it to its fullest? When was I last amazed? I need to get that again.

Then there are the older cousins who bring a significant other to the gathering. Sometimes the other comes to one or two gatherings and then fades into history. But sometimes, they become part of the family, and end up sharing their unique perspective as dinner turns into endless cups of coffee. And with so many people, it's easy to see why these gatherings end up lasting so long. You have to meet everyone, catch up on their lives, and they on yours. The cousins have to play together. The babies have their naps. This dishes need to get done, and more baking brought out from its hiding places to go along with all that coffee.

And that is what my family is. A whole bunch of people, as far apart as they may be, coming together as one family - who care and love and pray for each other.
What more could a girl want?