Janell was a huge fan of traditions for our family, and to be honest - I went along with them. But now I find myself continuing traditions, such as shifting the household decorations from season to season, and clam chowder for Christmas Eve dinner. I of course continue my "compulsive" traditions: making my weekend to-do list on Friday night, reading the Sunday paper cover-to-cover along with breakfast, and watching my favorite sit-coms.
But one tradition has taken on a renewed importance - family reunions. I always looked forward to my family reunions when I was a kid - going early to Krape Park in Freeport, Illinois, to secure the shelter house; packing the picnic basket; gorging ourselves on the salads, the meat dishes and especially the desserts; playing softball with the uncles, aunts and cousins; and fishing down by the dam. Unfortunately those days are over - my family reunions are just a memory.
Until now - several of the cousins got together last weekend and re-connected. I realized how much I miss them. They were so important to my childhood; they were not just my family - they were my friends. And we're pushing to bring us together again - but we need to be careful. It would be so easy to let that moment of resolve dissolve into just good intentions - and we know what "good intentions" pave! We need follow-through - decisions on time, who does what, where, and the continued communication to make it happen.
I feel a regeneration of my family roots - to ground me in hope.
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