It's a Family Thing

Curled up, pulled in like the turtle I am, feeling different, odd, outsider, strange. Sometimes I yield and curl up with those outsider feelings -- and -- sometimes I push back the dark closing in. Sometimes I push back with hope, gratefulness and family.

It's a family thing.

Reaching out on the cusp of reunion, one whole week of meals, babies, grandparents, gratefulness, letting love shine. You shine.

Place, memory, thought.

We grew up together, sitting at the same table, playing with the same toys, sitting in the same church. Big momma, big meals, big work. Acres of gardens. 140 acres of canyons, rose rock beds, sandstone ledges, vines, scrubbing floors, hideouts, horned toads, fireworks, bonfires, Halloween, cemetery, blackberries, bar ditches, crawdads, crab apples, peaches, cherries, Mom's pickled peaches, Mom's bread and butter pickles, gathering eggs, milking cows, cow tanks, dirt road, neighbors, dogs. No bears, moose or antelope. Being poor.

Houses going by. At least once a year we had a house being pulled down the road, sometimes three stories tall. Where from and where too I hadn't a clue, but climbing up into the cedar tree to watch the crew move over-head wires and cables as the house slowly trudged on its way was entertainment.

Walking the mile and a quarter to school. Walking home.
Heat, dust, snakes. Cold, snow, wild winter dogs.

Rock house, well house, hen house, barn, shop, rabbit hutch, I barely remember the outhouse, stanchions, feed, fences, fires, baling wire, saw grinding away at something.

It's a family thing: quilting, books, road trips and maps.
It's a family thing: food, fellowship.
It's a family thing: loving, accepting, not fighting.

Sibling-nation: One mother, one father, one place. A common web of experience -- turtle, horse, goat, bull we came from one place and belong to one another. A collective memory shaded our own. Rooted to the same ground and each other.

No kingdom, just a family, youngest, oldest, smartest, funniest, weirdest, richest. Comfortably conversant with each other whether teasing and mocking or laughing and crying.

It's a family thing. Strength in sibling-nation.

Remember dad's thick lumpy cream in his coffee.
Remember getting to spend a quarter at the dime store or the Good Will store.

Ian and I had lunch at the local Chinese restaurant and both of us had fortune cookies mentioning family. Of course now I can't remember the wee quotes, the ones I swore I would add to the blog.

Wasn't it Cathy who put on Facebook "I don't have alzheimers, I have sometimers. Sometimes I remember and sometimes I don't."

Jeff sent me a "congratulation" card on the arrival of my new car. Only Jeff. Only family.

Brittany and Jerry rolled into a new year.

Connor will stay cuddled up if I bring a movie to watch. Epic kept him entranced and on my lap for two hours, bless those little pixels of action.

I wanted a Son's Dinner and Stephanie volunteered to host. OMG she is a good. A pumpkin sauce penne -- fantastic, oven roasted fall vegetables -- fantastic, even Christian ate those, plus salad, wine, bread, sushi. Bo found, bought and brought okra chips. I think because she knew I loved okra. Has anyone else had these? I'm so bringing some to reunion. Christian said even dried and crispy they still felt slimy in his mouth. Only Christian. Roger didn't even limp after his 50K. Everyone was there including the two grand dogs.

The dark is gone and all continues to shine.

It's continues to be a family thing.

I wonder what Jeff will bring to reunion.