Someone once told me that I was so lucky to be part of a family that was so close-knit. It didn't occur to me at that very moment, but the more I thought about it, it was true and I was pretty lucky! I've had some friends tell me that they don't socialize with their 1st cousins because they don't really know them at all. I thought that was pretty strange - maybe because I came from a family that met constantly, if not always! And when I say constantly, I mean meeting my family more than on those special holidays: Thanksgiving, Christmas, etc.
Growing up, we always spent Sundays at grandma & grandpa's house. It was something that I looked forward to during the week because it was the day of the week that I would see my cousins, aunts, uncles and more importantly, a day to see my grandparents. Through the years, I've seen my family grow. Grandma and grandpa are now gone and the "little kids" aren't so much the little kids anymore because they're all graduating from high school! Most of my 1st cousins are grown up and have gone their separate ways by moving off-island, having children of their own or got married. I remember when I started to see the transition, it frightened me. I had this fear that once we all reached adulthood, we wouldn't have those "Sunday gatherings" like we did before. Can you imagine being out of touch with everyone? I absolutely cannot conceive the idea at all! But it's happening and today I realized at today's Memorial Day family gathering, that the crowd is getting smaller.
I've heard complaints from members of my family that we meet too much because all the gatherings are more than once a week. But I think I've figured out exactly why they all meet - it's because they're all getting older so they treasure the moments they have with each other. Let me be the first to admit that I am not at all of these "gatherings", but I can say one thing: I am lucky to be part of a family that is close-knit. If I were to move off-island tomorrow, I know that I would definitely miss all the family gatherings we have. It's a time when I actually socialize with my family and that's something you can't put a price on.
2 comments:
Po-po,
We are lucky to have such a close family. We all grew up more like siblings than cousins and I will always cherish my close relationships with you and our other cousins. It is sad that our group is getting smaller and I hope that we don't ever lose touch no matter how far apart we all get.
Love you, mean it!
Nesang
Family is the core, keeping close contacts is always important. Of course stressful at times, but the need for closeness and support is the pinnacle of life, especially in these trying times.
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