This past weekend I was a guest at another family reunion. A
couple of weeks ago I wrote about the Holst family reunion and now it was a
chance go as an outsider to Pat’s family reunion. It was held in Door County
Wisconsin and I know those of you who have been there; know the beauty of that
place, nestled on the rocky shores of Lake Michigan. The flowers, cherry trees,
the quaint little shops and inns that dot the rugged shoreline, only serve to
accent the natural beauty of this place but I’m not here to talk about the
scenery, I’m here to talk about some people.
Every time I make a new friend, and I made a few with this
family, I want to get inside their heads and see the past as they saw it. For
within those same minds lie the stories that need to be told and the secrets of
why they were all there that weekend. Oh we don’t want to hear stories of
failures-- we’ve all made mistakes and their best noted and forgotten, but
instead stories of the successes and the undying love that still brings them
together at times like this. You see, I don’t care how much money you make or
what kind of car you drive or how many degrees you have. I care about the
hearts you’ve touched along the way in this incredible journey called life and
mine was touched by what happened next.
At this gathering was a ninety-year-old woman who is the
family’s matriarch. Crippled and slowed by old age, her body definitely showing
the signs and wear of a long lifetime of living. But yet at the same time,
showing it all with grace, and carrying it with pride. For it’s in the eyes of
a person that we find that inner fire that never dies until they do and her
eyes glowed with so much pride that day, for all to see. As that last day wound
down, and the last jokes had been told and the last meal had been consumed, her
family saw to it that the focus of that day was changed from those people’s
relationships with each other to her. Instead, now, there was a hush over the
party and that spotlight was put on Mom and it was touching. All the day’s
games were now over, the fire was now out and it was time to roll the credits
and right there amongst all of them, was the appointed leader of that great
family. What happened next was only fitting and proper. I’ll leave it at that.
There is a certain amount of responsibility that goes into
the changing of the guard. Generations die out, only to be replaced by new
ones, with new ideas and different values. But at the end of the day, we all
have a sincere responsibility to see that we keep those things alive, that
worked so well, for so long, for our ancestors. True, something’s in life can
and will be replaced by new technology but nothing will ever replace the love
and caring that can live in the human heart if we let it. If that doesn’t
happen we will have all lived our lives in vain. You can emulate it all you
want but only if you mean it and it’s here that actions speak louder then
words. It’s also here that being a copycat isn’t wrong but the sincerest form
of flattery. This one’s for you
Aunt Marilyn. God bless you and your family
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