“I can’t think of anything to write about except families. They are a metaphor for every other part of society” – Anna Quindlen
As you may know, I have three sisters. Our parents died many years ago, and, because of that, our families made the decision to get together as much as possible. My youngest sister lives in Pittsburgh. My middle sister lives in Northern Virginia, and, of course, Greg and I live in Charlotte. (Our daughter lives in Chapel Hill and our son currently is in Asheville.)
We usually get together for ‘decade’ birthdays (30-40-50, etc.) This year it was my sister Sharon’s 40th birthday. She and her husband have a vacation house on Lake Anna, VA, and decided we would have the reunion there. Needless to say, we had a terrific time seeing everyone. We enjoyed visiting with all our family members, including our son, daughter & her boyfriend, and our nieces and nephews.
But, back to the lake: We had wonderful weather and the water was just the right temperature. I went on a boat ride with my brother-in-law Marc and floated in the water close to the shore. Marc is a great cook and fed us delicious meals. We also went out one night to an excellent German restaurant – and, I confess, I ate way too much.
The best thing about the trip was not just seeing our family, but also being able to interact with the youngest members of the original Anderson family clan: Gracie, age 7 from Pittsburgh, showed off her silly bands, and Jack, age 9, loved being there as well. So did Bobby, who is in his first year of college, and his sister Mary, who is close to graduating from high school. They live in Northern Virginia.
I can get pretty wound up from time to time, but it was extremely relaxing to be on the lake, have someone else to cook for me and get to learn more about each other are doing these days.
As for me, I have just one thing to say:
GOD BLESS FAMILIES!*
You probably noticed that there is a new photo on this journal page with the Mercer family wearing purple arm bands to support ending Alzheimer’s Disease.
Love the new haircut, Laura. It looks great on you. And I’m with you in that photo in spirit. I wear my Alzheimer’s band every day, and when people ask me why, I tell them the story of my smart, funny, amazing friend and her inspiring approach to life. You are an inspiration.
YOU are a wonderful friend! How’s your book going?
My favorite moments with my big sister Laura during the family reunion: 1) sitting on the island with her and younger sister Mary and talking about the things we care about most in life; 2) taking a pontoon boat ride with her while Greg was off playing disc golf and enjoying the breeze, the sun, and each other’s company; 3) -probably most of all–seeing once again how much my sisters love their children and what great mothers they are. I love you Laura. You continue to be an inspiration and a source of joy to me. Marc and I can’t wait to come down to Charlotte to walk with you on November 13th in the Memory Walk!