Dinner at Sixbears

Saturday at the Sixbears household we had a family get together. The reason? It was possible to get together, so we did. I put a turkey in the oven bright and early. My lovely wife prepared some fine side dishes. She got help from my dad's lady friend. The kids all brought something.

It's not too often these days we get a chance to get 4 generations together. Dad spends most of the year in Florida. One of my daughters is in Massachusetts, my other daughters live in the next town over. All the little ones were there. We try to get the cousins together fairly often.

I was an only child growing up. My cousins were like brothers and sisters to me. We were close and still are. Extended family was an important part of my childhood. Some of my most memorable times were with my cousins. Now it's my grandkids' turn, and I want them to have that experience too. Today's families tend to be smaller. Reaching out to other kin gives a kid a sense of belonging and place in the world. Good to have family to turn to in good times and bad.

Community doesn't just happen. People need to make the effort. It's easy to get caught up in day to day activities. Doing something extra can be tough to squeeze in. Do it anyway. The bond with family is worth it. When I think back to all the get togethers growing up, it's the memories of the people that sticks with me -not the gifts at Christmas, the Thanksgiving food, birthday presents, or even the fireworks of Independence day. It's the people who where there with me that made the events special and memorable.

So today we had a great meal, but the company was even better.

-Sixbears