We were on the road again yesterday. Chris' aunt died and the funeral was in Bay City. This was the last of her Mom's sisters. She had six or seven siblings. Now there is just one sister-in-law and one brother, along with two brothers-in-law, left in that generation. And in the words of one of Chris' first cousins, "Then it starts on us." These last three, including Chris' Mom, all died within this last year, so it has been pretty tough on them. All three of them were Christians, however, so the comfort that came from knowing where they are they are now made a big difference.
Chris' family is big on family reunions. My family never was that I can remember. At least not on this scale. Her kin had at least one a year the whole time she was growing up, and I have been to a few of them myself as one who got grafted in. They are pretty much right on line with the traditional idea I had of what it would be like. Lots and lots of food. Good food. Like briskets and fried chicken and dressing and fresh vegetables and every kind of country-type dessert you can think of. Homemade apple pies and banana pudding and cookies. Sweet tea and soft drinks. Not much thought about sugar-free diet stuff. Kids running around playing. Babies passed from one grandma to the next. A dog or two thrown into the mix. Chairs set up in a huge circle under the trees. Plates filled to the brim and sitting on laps – no tables needed. Queries about how they fit into the big family picture and who's related to who and how. It was a matter of pride as to how far back you could trace your connection and still know who the other person was talking about. I have finally reached a level beyond simple newcomer because I met Chris' grandfather before he died. I still can't keep up with all the cousins, though.
I spent a lot of time yesterday with one of the other husbands of a cousin. His wife was the flower girl at our wedding. As the day wound down we got a kick out of watching people say their goodbyes. Very interesting to see which ones were "must see before we go" personas. In fact I started timing how long it took to make the rounds. Our winner took the better part of 45 minutes from the time he started near us to the time he gathered his wife and kids and actually walked toward their car. He paid homage to the final aunt and then went to almost all of his first cousins. I say almost because he missed Chris. She said she never saw him, but I don't see how she could tell. Chris stayed under 30 minutes from the time she first mentioned leaving to the time we actually did leave. She kept thinking of one more someone else.
I appreciate the aunts and cousins who have included me in the group over the years. They have made it feel like a real honor to be a part of what they have going.
Ecclesiastes 8:1 says, "Who is like the wise man? Who knows the explanation of things? Wisdom brightens a man's face and changes its hard appearance."
Father, bless that Taylor family. Draw them close to you. Amen.
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