A Year (off) In the Life: Family

My sister Ele and I are the two oldest grandchildren on my mother's side of our family. I never knew my Grandaddy Smith - Horace Carlton Smith - who died when my Mom was 21. But my Grandmother, Edna Harris Smith, was with us until 2004, dearly loved by her three children - including my Mom, my Auntie Laura and my Uncle Carlton, and their respective spouses and children.

Every year of my entire life until I was about 30, we routinely got together for holidays. But as families expand and contract, sadly we have not all been together for several years with the exception of weddings and graduations and those visits are always brief. This past weekend we had the (almost) complete group and spent three days feasting and reconnecting. It was a long overdue reunion and it was exactly what I needed after the past several weeks of life spent in a constant state of flux.

On the first night we prepared a traditional southern New Year's Day meal of BBQ Ribs (or a version thereof...) with mashed Turnips, Black Eyed Peas and Collard Greens, along with a whole host of other side dishes. Before dinner we gathered around the table and joined hands in one continuous circle, something we always did before at our family gatherings, but I don't recall it every having as much meaning to me as this one did. My Uncle Carlton gave a very moving blessing and I for one had to take a breather afterwards, as my eyes welled up and I had a lump in my throat - as this symbolic circle of family and connectedness was very powerful for me. It was as if the spirit of our family had finally come back together, rejoining us through clasped hands and hearts, filling a void that many of us have been missing for a very long time. This gathering was a long time in the making, and I was overjoyed and overcome to be surrounded by my family again.

Our reunion included Mom and A.Vee, my sister Ele (38), her husband Will and their boy, my nephew - Finn (1). My Mom's sister - my Auntie Laura - and her husband of nearly 40 years my Uncle Robert, their oldest daughter - my cousin Elizabeth (32)with her husband Jay and their little girl Laura Katherine (2 1/2); and my youngest cousin Laura Jane (23). Auntie Laura & Uncle Robert's middle daughter, Dr. Katherine (27), and her husband, Dr. Keith, were the only ones not able to come for the weekend.
And my mom's brother - my Uncle Carlton and his wife of 30+ years my Aunt Lynn, and their three children - Carlie(29), and my twin cousins Matt and Justin (24).