NEVER MISS THE CHANCE

When you hear the phrase “family reunion” what comes to mind? For me it was this not so wonderful picture I had of attending such an event back in the 1970’s. It was a hot summer Virginia afternoon with strangers. My cheeks were pinched by a number of older women (gosh, they must have been in at least their 30’s) and I was regaled with stories of what I had done as a small child. Needless to say, it was not a favorable picture.
Fast forward to the mid 1990’s. My wife, my daughter, and I walked the historic streets of Charleston, South Carolina as we celebrated my Grandmother’s 75th birthday in the city of her choice. It was the closest we had to a family reunion. The next gathering was for her funeral a few years later. A decision was made then to get together more often and the idea for the first Garner family reunion was born. After all, we hated the thought of only getting together for funerals.
Sometime later a family reunion was hosted by my aunt and uncle in North Carolina. We golfed and ate and swam during a fun filled weekend. The highlights for me were paddling a canoe in the local lake with my daughter and playing golf with my uncles. After the reunion one of my uncles followed us to Hattiesburg and I had the opportunity to play a round of golf with him at my home course, Timberton. Little did I know it would be our last round as he passed away a few months later. Once again we gathered for a funeral instead of a reunion. During this time my wife and I offered to host the next family reunion.
The family got together again, not for the planned reunion but for my daughter’s funeral. I love them all very much and having them there helped more than they could know. We just wished that it could have been for a better reason.
Finally, this summer, we got to have that long awaited second family reunion. Although Grandmother, Uncle Bill, and my Beth have already been reunited, they were all truly missed at our reunion. Their pictures were there along with a wonderful poem my mother wrote for those who left before us.
All too often we take for granted those who are with us. We opt not to attend a family reunion because it is inconvenient. It’s usually hot and takes an effort to arrive at the destination. When we do get there we spend more time with our own immediate family members than we do those we may only see once or twice a decade.
I want to challenge you to make an effort to cherish those times you have with loved ones you have not seen or spoken to in some time. Attend as many family reunions as you can. Say those things to your family that you always wanted to say. Don’t wait until the final reunion.