Relative Something

In the afterglow of the Hays family relations gathering of 2009, designated as first annual, I’m finding a mix of glee over what fun it all was and some wonder over why it never became an annual event years ago. Mom would have loved it. I actually think it is a good thing that doing this in August keeps it separated from the distractions of it being a holiday celebration and the obligations that usually become associated with such. Of course, the main factor in the reunion becoming a priority, and this year being our ‘first annual’, is the death of our mom, Gramma Betty, last year on August 13. We now must be more vigilant to maintain connections with the family in the absence of that last living common individual to gather around. We are just 5 individual families, each with our own descendants/families. We are each the matriarch/patriarch of our own clans. Maybe we always were before, but we are more so now.

When I look at the photos from the weekend that are being posted to share, I become increasingly aware of how much goes on in a weekend and how small a portion of it I am able to experience first-hand. I plan to become more proficient with practice and am already looking at how many possibilities there are for mini-gatherings prior to next year’s ‘second annual’. Here’s hoping for a return of the annual winter gathering in Hayward and a high percentage of people available to attend. The possibilities are being investigated.

Remember the year we tried to bury Linda’s car with snow so she would have an excuse not to be able to leave the weekend early and get back to work on Monday?

Anyone who might happen to be out of town next winter will be happy to know there is an internet connection up at the lake place now and we will be able to video chat if said out of towners have the necessary technology in place…

Winter at Wildwood