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Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Where have the family reunions gone?



Is it just me or are there a lot fewer family reunions going on? In my little circle there seem to be none at all this year.

Have they fallen out of favor?

Is the price of travel too high?

Perhaps not enough people can get the time off?

Sometimes I think it’s a generational thing. The WWII generation used to be all about big family gatherings. There were huge crowds at Thanksgiving and Christmas. Every summer there’d be big outdoor reunions with plenty of food and drink.

Their kids may have kept things going, but with few and smaller events.

Now, there doesn’t seem to be enough of the older generations in a position to organize get togethers.

Maybe things like Facebook have killed it off. Electronic connections substitute for physical interactions. If that’s true, it’s too bad. It’s one thing to see the electronic version of your relatives. It’s something entirely different to have a beer with them and maybe throw a few horseshoes. There’s something to be said for face to face interactions.

I hope it’s not a widespread change and just something in my little group.

-Sixbears

17 comments:

  1. I haven't been to a family reunion in years. I used to attend my ex-mate's family reunions. Her family was huge. As a quiet observer of such goings-ons, one of the aspects I noticed was that few of the 20 and 30-somethings attended. It was mostly dominated by the 40+ folks.

    Novel observation Brother Bear.

    BriarPatch

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  2. I'm not sure it is. I know the older generations attempted to keep closer with family, using vacations to travel and visit family which lived far apart. Christmas and Easter - Grandma's house, where everyone showed up to enjoy the festivities. That was a given and the absence of a family member was noted (Are they sick? Are they ... ?).

    The last family reunion we had that was multi-state was back in 1992 or thereabouts. Grandma had passed away in 1986 and family get togethers just fell apart. Everyone got along, it just wasn't done anymore.

    Now, its mainly funerals and weddings we see each other. The older generation still keep up with extended family, especially when it comes to health issues, but family reunions - nope.

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    1. I realized when my mom passed that I no longer had anyone to tell me what was going on with the family.

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  3. Well, we still have 'em here in Texas. Went to one in Conroe in May, Mama's daddy's people, then in July I'll take her again to 2, both on the same day unfortunately. Daddy's mama's people used to have 4 days of camping and cooking family style meals on a wood-burning stove, and that's down to one mid-day meal now, but still about 125 show up. Mama's mama's folks used to have a Friday night - Sunday shindig, and that will be the afternoon and evening of the same Saturday. Fortunately the small central Texas towns are close enough together to do both, if briefly. Mama is the oldest of her generation at 86, and who knows what will happen when her generation is gone? My kids were overseas when their tie-binding years could have been formed, so they'e not even close to their 1st cousins, much less the 3rd or 4th like I was.... Sad, isn't it, SixBears?

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    1. Enjoy it while it lasts. You kids are missing out. I'm close to 3rd cousins. 1st cousins are like brothers and sisters.

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  4. My family in Pennsylvania has reunions and I try to go to them when I can. I am going to miss the one this year. Schools have reunions and we went to one a few years back and really had a great time. I love reunions but I love to talk and I love to be with relatives, so a reunion fills both desires.

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    1. Glad for you that your family still has them. It's tough when family gets scattered across the country.

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  5. One of my aunts was setting up a reunion this summer, but she called it off because too many folks couldn't get there, myself included. Lack of money, time, and families scattered across the map have pretty much conspired to kill the family reunion...

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    Replies
    1. As I suspected: time, money and distance play a big role.

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  6. The Minotaur and I are both "black sheep"....IF our families had reunions and IF we gave a damn....we would not be invited.

    Also, neither of us have much family left alive.

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    1. I have reunions with friends, and that's a blast. The way family can be sometimes makes me grateful for friends and strangers. Even a stranger might give you a break.

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  7. I enjoy reunions but my husband would rather die than attend. Obviously we haven't been to one.

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    Replies
    1. Apparently reunions mean something different to each of you. You are kind not to force him.

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  8. Most of my clan are dead and gone. We have a reunion about every other weekend when my sister invites me over for BBQ. BBQ makes reunions go ever so much better.

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  9. My family doesn't have reunions per se, but we do get together for major events (e.g., 50th birthdays, funerals, 50th wedding anniversaries, etc.) We probably go to 3 or 4 a decade. The last was my nephew graduating with his Master's over a year ago. So, I'm not seeing a slow down personally, but I don't have a lot of data points.

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