Life's too short...............

I was thinking the other day about travel and the past few years and getting together with family and friends, and how even if you attend a family reunion you still don't see all your family for a number of reasons. Sure we have those that live miles away and you can't always accommodate everyone as to a location, but usually have it where or near that place where most of the family lives and we all can understand that. As you may or may not know my immediate family lives here in Arizona and most all of our family on both sides lives in Iowa or close by in the Midwest. Fortunately for us if we plan on traveling the 1800 miles or so to attend reunions our families (My side and Bev's side)have them on the same weekend in June. Now being from Gods country here in beautiful Arizona the Midwest is not the most pleasant of places to spend time in June either, the combination of heat and humidity is like being in hell at times but you do it for family you don't see everyday.

One of the two family reunions is a long standing one, it's been scheduled and attended by family for many years now, and the other was resurrected about 6 or 7 years ago now by myself and a lot of help from my sister. One is growing smaller due to a number of things, folks growing older and passing on and younger families just not attending no matter how close to home the reunion may be. I guess when your really young you enjoy the playing with cousins eating picnic food and playing games but when you begin to have families and other activities the generations now just don't view family get togethers the same way we used to. Life's too short and families are growing apart faster and faster and one day this generation will realize that and how much they missed by not taking the time to stay close to not just immediate family but extended family also!

I don't want to sound old here, but what else could it be to feel sorry as I do for these past two generations, sorry for missing out on cousins and what good friends they can be. Growing up my cousins were some of my best friends and still are today, and now with families moving away or others holding onto old grudges they just don't see each other nearly as often or seem to want to.

Grudges, now that is one that really has bothered me for a long time. When you have friends or family that live blocks or short miles or across town or even across the state from one another and don't see each other due to some petty incident that happen way too many years ago that is nonsense! Mom did this for him............Mom spent that on her.......Mom didn't do the same for me.......she loves my brother or sister more...........Bull..shit! Since I'm mad at her I'll punish them all and myself and my KIDS by not showing up to the reunion! Life's too short and you're only punishing the rest of YOUR family by keeping them away from THEIR family and family gatherings. It's once a year and then could end up being more often as you renew relationships and find your cousins, uncles and aunts are doing the same things you like and could enjoy each other more often.

Attend that reunion this year if at all possible, let your kids meet, play with and renew relations with cousins and relatives. Enjoy some fried chicken, burgers and dogs too, how about aunt so and so's potato salad...............wow I wish I could make it this year myself but the economy has taken it's toll and the cost of traveling those 1600 to 1800 miles just can't be spent at this time this year. Me and my family will miss you all this year and we hope to see pictures from someone after the reunions. If you can make it please do and I'm sure you'll enjoy yourself for a moment or two at least..................Life's too short and family is all we have sometimes so don't lose them!