And Here We Have Idaho - Salmon -

Scott and I traveled to Salmon, Idaho with Jenna and Cliff and family, met my uncle, aunts, and mother there, along with my cousin and her daughter from NY.

My feelings:

What started out as a vacation ended up being a family reunion of sorts. 

Being together was nice - in short spurts, and it's fine to separate into small groups or do your own thing. Congregating occasionally is what's important. Four generations!  And now this weekend we go to Cedar City for the Weaver family reunion - my husband's people. I don't know them well; his siblings are closer to my mother's age than mine; I will attend because he needs to be there, and I will listen, learn about family, and be present.   

I'm reminded of the saying, "You can't know where you're going if you don't know where you've come from." Family is so important - nuclear family, extended family, and family of choice - those we gather as we grow and go through life. 

With my family this past week I've been reminded we all have characteristics that bother each other, and over the years (I'm the oldest grandchild, only 7 years younger than my aunt [Kim's mother]) we've done that. We're volatile, frank, moody, bossy, assertive, passive, vague, loving, tight-lipped. However, kind words and time together and the resolve to stay family continues as we are determined to be family. 

As much as we distance ourselves - miles and time, we can't escape our similar mannerisms, physical traits - eye color, hair color, build, ways of walking. And even temperaments! I see myself in my mother and aunts. Jenna and Kimberly (Kim's the youngest grandchild, only 1 year older than the oldest great [Tyler]) both have characteristics that remind me of my grandmother. And my uncle is the spitting image of my grandfather. 

To build family ties we have to be willing to ask for forgiveness, forgive, compromise, watch over each other, learn about each other, and gather when the opportunity arises.  

Amen.