Ah, Family!

This past week, we flew out of California to have an oh-so-short-but-special visit with our nephew and niece, and their respective families. We had the pleasure of having our oldest son along with us.

In their backyard, we watched as our nephew raised the American, Norwegian, Manx, and 10^th Mountain Division flags on the flagpole, representing family backgrounds.  We climbed down a hundred or so steps to the beach below their property which has been in my nephew’s wife’s family for a hundred years. Our grand nephews will grow up surrounded by family. Their aunt and uncle brought gifts and hugs when they came a bit later.

While with our family, we didn’t go shopping (oh, groceries once), didn’t attend a concert or go to an amusement park. No table games were brought out, and we only watched part of one football game on television.  We went to our grand nephew’s soccer game which he played happily in the light rain, and then were treated to a visit to our nephew’s office in town.

We ate quite a bit and enjoyed a delicious breakfast our nephew cooked, and a scrumptious shrimp, crab, and salmon dinner he and his wife fixed. In town we went to an English restaurant where dishes like cottage pie, fish and chips, and bangers were served.  And, oh the bakery! Can’t forget the Scandinavian goodies we ate.

During all these activities, we talked and listened, listened and talked; recalling the past and rejoicing with each other over our family ties and fond memories.

Next month we’ll spend some wonderful times with my brother and sister-in-law, and my cousin and her husband in Yosemite. Then in November, our youngest son and his little family will come to celebrate Thanksgiving with us, and our daughter and her family. Sometime soon, we’ll make a visit to my husband’s aunt and uncle and hopefully see cousins as well.  And we’ll talk and listen and listen and talk!

My point in all this is that family matters most. Not what’s going on in the political, religious, or entertainment scenes, not who has the best or most education, or whose sports teams are winning and losing. These are all great topics for conversation but never important enough to cause a rift, and above all, not as important as FAMILY.