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Our Family Gathering Yesterday

Arlo Kalon 2.0

New Member
As usual, it was held at our house because of the ample off street parking, two living areas, huge back yard, and pool we have. We had a huge feast mostly prepared by yours truly, the charcoal Master Chef. It was our first get together without my baby sister.. My brother in law, who now lives alone in the house he shared with my sister, actually stayed all day long instead of the usual 2-3 hours at such gatherings. The loneliness he still feels was evident in his demeanor all day. It was nice to have such a long visit with him tho.

My mom always brought a macaroni salad my wife has since duplicated the recipe perfectly. My niece likewise duplicated a recipe for a desert dish her mom always made. It was like the two were here with us. My brother who died five year ago at age 47 from diabetes and narcotic pain med addiction never had anything to contribute. I joked that I had some narcotic pain pills so it was like Kenny was here too... didn't go over so well - but he would have thought it was funny.

As our numbers our dwindling, each and every get together takes on more meaning. Soon the kids, nieces and nephews will be without us. In this hectic time in which we live we don't see each other enough anymore. I want to encourage you to have as many family get togethers as you can manage for every holiday, birthday, etc. that comes along. You won't be here forever, and the memories you will be creating will be cherished by the next generation for the remainder of their lives. It might even encourage them to keep the tradition alive with their own new families.

I miss my mom, brother, and sister. I am the oldest sibling and feel unfairly left alive while two younger have died. All I have left is my youngest brother and I make it a point to call him a couple of times a week. I stay in regular contact with my brother in law as well. You only get one family. Make the most of it while you still have time.
 

GypsyGraphics

New Member
my family gets together quite a bit and when we do it's a crowd of 30 or so. i'ts a chore to get that many people together and it never goes off without a hitch... without something not going as planned. and it's usually the blunders that make for the best stories and memories.

my mom told me, just weeks before she passed away... "big family gatherings are a lot of work, but so worth it... so much more than you may realize."

i think your brother-in-law is a good example of that.... sounds like the day meant a lot to him. how wonderful that he still has your family.
 
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