Family Reunions

This weekend was another busy weekend for the Steinbauer fam.

We had the Steinbauer family reunion on Saturday and the Martin family reunion on Sunday.

Turner did exceptionally well with all of the introductions, pinches, touches, stares, etc. Family can be strange like that. Crossing boundaries because they are 'family.' And we allow it because, well, they are our family (even though I could have passed most of them in the grocery aisle and wouldn't know them at all.)

I used to really dread family reunions. Talking and hugging with people you really don't know or you've never seen. Being introduced as so-and-so's so-and-so and watching that person nod and examine your face, looking for familiarity.

I decided to take a different perspective this weekend.

I took everything in and observed the love being shared. People meeting other people in a friendly / loving environment. People were accepted without anyone needing to know anything about them outside of the fact that someone from our family brought them in. And it's always good enough. Always.

When people see each other once a year, they are much more tolerant and appreciative.

The family reunions didn't seem to be about who has what or is working where or who's got the super-genius athletic kid that's going to be the next President. It was about fellowship.

It was gathering with others that shared a mother, a grandparent, an uncle, etc. and sharing life experiences. It was learning the history of your family. It was recognizing a pair of lips or the bend of fingers that have been passed through generations.

If only for one day a year, our families gathered and made a memory by sitting and sharing a meal.

Simple, but so significant.

It's more important and special than I realized and I'm actually looking forward to doing it again next year.

"The great gift of family life is to be intimately acquainted with people you might never even introduce yourself to, had life not done it for you." - Kendall Hailey