More and more people now spurn family reunions. Reasons vary: “I am neither close to my mom/dad’s siblings nor to their children.” “I don’t need a reunion to re-affirm my identity with family.” “I would rather spend time with friends with whom I have things in common than cousins I share nothing with but blood.” “It’s expensive to attend one.”
My personal answer to the question: Family reunions are inviolable.
I belong to a clan that has been meeting annually for 79 years. The pandemic was not an excuse—we reuned online!
Family reunions are an opportune time to build cross-generational relationships and pass on family values. These two photos will explain it graphically for me.
During our just-concluded 79th reunion (new year 2024), two of my nephews, both first-time dads, had a photo taken with their firstborn.
In 1986, both nephews were still in the arms of their moms. Although one mom (right) had gone to Jesus’ eternal home, she lives forever in our hearts through stories shared year after year. The two babies (top photo) will carry on the relationship as their dads are doing.
Steve Green's Find Us Faithful says it best:
We're pilgrims on the journey
Of the narrow road,
And those who've gone before us
Line the way.
Cheering on the faithful,
Encouraging the weary,
Their lives a stirring testament
To God's sustaining grace.. . .
O may all who come behind us
Find us faithful,
May the fire of our devotion
Light their way . . .
Most of all, family reunions for me are sacrosant, because they provide a special time to worship together as one and pass on the legacy of faith, gifted and modeled to us by our forbears
2 comments:
Amazing article Tita. This gave me goosebumps reading, because it is so true.
Thank you, JimJim. Family reunions such as ours are priceless treasures we can't find elsewhere. See you next year!
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